• Home
  • Imprint
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • Agile and lean law firm
  • Ideal partner
  • Contact
  • Videos
ITMediaLaw - Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel
  • en English
  • de Deutsch
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
      • Ideal partner
      • About lawyer Marian Härtel
      • Video series – about me
      • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
      • Principles as a lawyer
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Nerd und Rechtsanwalt
      • Ideal partner
      • How can I help clients?
    • Über die Kanzlei
      • How clients benefit from my network of colleagues, partners and service providers
      • Quick and flexible access
      • Agile and lean law firm
      • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
      • Price overview
    • How can I help clients?
    • Sonstige Informationen
      • Einwilligungen widerrufen
      • Privatsphäre-Einstellungen ändern
      • Historie der Privatsphäre-Einstellungen
      • Privacy policy
    • Testimonials
    • Imprint
  • Leistungen
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Support with the foundation
      • Games law consulting
      • Advice in e-commerce
      • Support and advice of agencies
      • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
      • Legal compliance and expert opinions
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Arbeitsschwerpunkte
      • Games and esports law
        • Esports. What is it?
      • Corporate law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Consulting for influencers and streamers
        • Influencer & Streamer
      • Contract review and preparation
      • DLT and Blockchain consulting
        • Blockchain Overview
      • Investment advice
      • AI and SaaS
  • Artikel/News
    • Langartikel / Guides
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Law on the Internet
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Online retail
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Competition law
    • Copyright
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Labour law
    • Tax
    • Kanzlei News
    • Other
  • Videos/Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Podcast
      • ITMediaLaw Podcast
      • ITMediaLaw Kurz-Podcast
  • Knowledge base
  • Contact
Kurzberatung
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
      • Ideal partner
      • About lawyer Marian Härtel
      • Video series – about me
      • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
      • Principles as a lawyer
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Nerd und Rechtsanwalt
      • Ideal partner
      • How can I help clients?
    • Über die Kanzlei
      • How clients benefit from my network of colleagues, partners and service providers
      • Quick and flexible access
      • Agile and lean law firm
      • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
      • Price overview
    • How can I help clients?
    • Sonstige Informationen
      • Einwilligungen widerrufen
      • Privatsphäre-Einstellungen ändern
      • Historie der Privatsphäre-Einstellungen
      • Privacy policy
    • Testimonials
    • Imprint
  • Leistungen
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Support with the foundation
      • Games law consulting
      • Advice in e-commerce
      • Support and advice of agencies
      • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
      • Legal compliance and expert opinions
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Arbeitsschwerpunkte
      • Games and esports law
        • Esports. What is it?
      • Corporate law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Consulting for influencers and streamers
        • Influencer & Streamer
      • Contract review and preparation
      • DLT and Blockchain consulting
        • Blockchain Overview
      • Investment advice
      • AI and SaaS
  • Artikel/News
    • Langartikel / Guides
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Law on the Internet
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Online retail
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Competition law
    • Copyright
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Labour law
    • Tax
    • Kanzlei News
    • Other
  • Videos/Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Podcast
      • ITMediaLaw Podcast
      • ITMediaLaw Kurz-Podcast
  • Knowledge base
  • Contact
ITMediaLaw - Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel
Home Law on the Internet

OLG Cologne on a “one star” rating of a competitor

1. February 2023
in Law on the Internet
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0 0
A A
0
google reviews
Key Facts
  • Cologne Higher Regional Court decides that a negative review without a recognizable reason can be considered disparaging.
  • A rating of one out of five stars is not regarded as a mere expression of opinion.
  • The evaluation is based on a factual core combined with a subjective opinion.
  • Inadmissible abusive business criticism is deemed to exist if there is no factual reference.
  • Negative reviews can have considerable legal consequences and costs.
  • There are numerous legal rulings on this subject that should be observed.
  • Careful consideration should be given to negative reviews on Google, especially for competitors.

The Cologne Higher Regional Court has ruled that a rating of a competitor with one out of five possible stars on Google without any discernible reason (in this case merely professional contact) could constitute a sweeping disparaging value judgment within the meaning of Section 4 No. 1 of the German Unfair Competition Act (UWG) and thus lead to a warning by the competitor.

(1) The evaluation of a competitor by awarding one of a possible five stars in an Internet service is a general disparaging value judgment within the meaning of Sec. 4 No. 1 UWG even if a professional contact existed, but this contact was precisely no recognizable basis for the evaluation.

2. star ratings of entrepreneurial services on Google profiles are not understood by the addressed public as a pure expression of opinion, but as a personal evaluation of a service actually used (cf. BGH, judgment of March 1, 2016 – VI ZR34/15 – jameda.de). In this respect, such evaluations contain a factual core to which the subjective evaluation is linked. A general disparagement which, in the absence of information about the specific circumstances to which the disparaging statement relates, does not reveal this factual reference, is exhausted in the disparagement and is therefore inadmissible entrepreneurial defamatory criticism (BGH, judgment of 19.05.2011 – I ZR 147/09 – Coaching-Newsletter; BGH, judgment of 12.12.2013; OLG Frankfurt, judgment of 27.03.2014 – 6 U 75/12; OLG Frankfurt, decision of 15.07.2021 – 6 W 40/21).

The bottom line is that you should always think twice before giving someone else, let alone a competitor, a negative review on Google. In the meantime, there is a whole series of relevant decisions on the subject complex and a quickly typed assessment can result in a rat race of trouble and costs.

Tags: Abusive criticismBghCologne Higher Regional CourtFrankfurtinternetserviceWarning

Beliebte Beträge

Social media accounts as a company: who keeps followers when employees change?

Social media accounts as a company: who keeps followers when employees change?
4. May 2025

Social media have become valuable assets for modern companies. Followers, profiles and reach can determine customer relationships, employer image and...

Read moreDetails

Digital Services Act (DSA): What creators, influencers and agencies need to know now

Digital Services Act (DSA): What creators, influencers and agencies need to know now
16. May 2025

Key Facts: Stricter transparency obligations for platforms: The Digital Services Act (DSA) forces Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) such as...

Read moreDetails

Legally compliant contract drafting for software development on no-code platforms

Legally compliant contract drafting for software development on no-code platforms
26. April 2025

No-code and low-code platforms enable start-ups and agencies to develop software and digital products quickly and without in-depth programming knowledge....

Read moreDetails

Automated pricing and dynamic pricing in e-commerce

automatisierte preisgestaltung und dynamic pricing im ee28091commerce 1
2. April 2025

In the digital economy, automated pricing and dynamic pricing strategies are now part of everyday life. Whether for online shopping,...

Read moreDetails

Growth hacking and viral marketing – legal requirements

growth hacking und virales marketing juristische anforderungen 1
1. April 2025

Growth hacking and viral marketing promise start-ups rapid growth and a wide reach with a low budget. In the digital...

Read moreDetails

Liability of website operators for user comments – When and how operators are responsible for their users’ content

Creating contracts with face models and voice models: A guide for the gaming industry
15. March 2025

Introduction The responsibility of website operators for user-generated content has become much more important in recent years, both in case...

Read moreDetails

AI editing of OnlyFans content & Instagram campaigns: Important legal tips!

ai generated g63ed67bf8 1280
23. February 2025

Copyright and original material Copyright regulations protect the intellectual property of those who create photo and video material. The OnlyFans...

Read moreDetails

Digitalization and contract law: Electronic signature in accordance with the eIDAS Regulation

Digitalization and contract law: Electronic signature in accordance with the eIDAS Regulation
3. March 2025

Introduction: Digitalization and modern contract law Advancing digitalization is changing all business processes, especially in the area of contract design....

Read moreDetails

Liability under Art. 82 GDPR for sending forged invoices!

Liability under Art. 82 GDPR for sending forged invoices!
17. February 2025

Recently, I have been able to successfully represent my clients in several similar cases that were affected by security breaches...

Read moreDetails
  • Home
  • Imprint
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms
  • Agile and lean law firm
  • Ideal partner
  • Contact
  • Videos
Marian Härtel, Rathenaustr. 58a, 14612 Falkensee, info@itmedialaw.com

Marian Härtel - Rechtsanwalt für IT-Recht, Medienrecht und Startups, mit einem Fokus auf innovative Geschäftsmodelle, Games, KI und Finanzierungsberatung.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Contact
  • Leistungen
    • Support with the foundation
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Games law consulting
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
    • Investment advice
    • Booking as speaker
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Contract review and preparation
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Focus on start-ups
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus on start-ups
    • How can I help clients?
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Testimonials
    • Imprint
  • Videos
    • Video series – about me
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos on services
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Shorts
    • Third-party videos
    • Podcast format
    • Other videos
  • Knowledge base
  • Podcast
  • Blogposts
    • Lange Artikel / Ausführungen
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Labour law
    • EU law
    • Corporate
    • Competition law
    • Copyright
    • Tax
    • Internally
    • Other
  • en English
  • de Deutsch
Kostenlose Kurzberatung