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Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel - ITMediaLaw

OLG Cologne on the identification of affiliate links

7. November 2022
in Law on the Internet
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0 0
A A
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affiliate 3739738 1280
Key Facts
  • Website operators must clearly label affiliate links, as the Cologne Higher Regional Court ruled.
  • One example was a consumer portal that placed affiliate links from mattress test reports without labeling the links sufficiently.
  • The court was not convinced by the argument that a banner was placed in front of articles.
  • The recognizability of the commercial purpose is crucial for consumers.
  • The appearance of the links must not be designed in such a way that the consumer does not recognize the commercial purpose.
  • Reading an article and clicking on links is considered a commercial act.
  • The non-disclosure of remuneration agreements can influence consumers ' decisions.

On the question of whether and how affiliate links on websites must be identified, there have already been several decisions in the recent past, for example by the Munich Regional Court and the Dresden Higher Regional Court. The Hamburg Regional Court ruled similarly on the handling of commissions.

This trend has now also been confirmed by the Cologne Higher Regional Court. A website operator must make the placement of affiliate links sufficiently clear and unambiguous (OLG Köln, Beschluss v. 16.12.2020 – Az.: 6 W 102/20).

In the case at hand, the problem revolved around an editorial technology and consumer portal that also generated revenue by setting affiliate links.

One of these articles reported on the results of a mattress test by Stiftung Warentest and also linked affiliates without making this clearly visible.

The portal pointed out that a banner informing about the affiliate remuneration was placed in front of each article and that a graphic shopping cart symbol was positioned in front of each link.

However, this argumentation did not convince the OLG.

The commercial purpose is not made clear if the external appearance of the commercial act is designed in such a way that the consumer cannot clearly and unambiguously recognize its commercial purpose. The standard in this respect is the recognizability of the commercial purpose for a consumer who is reasonably well informed, reasonably observant and reasonably attentive to the situation. However, the commercial character of affiliate links in a post is not sufficiently indicated if the explanation of the links is provided in the form of shopping cart symbols above the headline of the post in a visually separate area.

Also interesting the following premise of the court.

Reading an (editorial) article and deciding to call up the online store of the (linked) respective merchant (advertiser) by clicking on an affiliate link constitutes a business act, because calling up the online store corresponds to entering a store in the area of online commerce. The non-disclosure of remuneration agreements in connection with the setting of affiliate links is likely to influence the consumer in this business decision; already the existence of such agreements is relevant information for the consumer. Only with knowledge of the commercial interest in the presentation of certain products in the relevant article can the consumer make an informed decision as to whether to trust the information in the article or to consult other or further sources of information.

Marian Härtel
Author: Marian Härtel

Marian Härtel ist Rechtsanwalt und Fachanwalt für IT-Recht mit einer über 25-jährigen Erfahrung als Unternehmer und Berater in den Bereichen Games, E-Sport, Blockchain, SaaS und Künstliche Intelligenz. Seine Beratungsschwerpunkte umfassen neben dem IT-Recht insbesondere das Urheberrecht, Medienrecht sowie Wettbewerbsrecht. Er betreut schwerpunktmäßig Start-ups, Agenturen und Influencer, die er in strategischen Fragen, komplexen Vertragsangelegenheiten sowie bei Investitionsprojekten begleitet. Dabei zeichnet sich seine Beratung durch einen interdisziplinären Ansatz aus, der juristische Expertise und langjährige unternehmerische Erfahrung miteinander verbindet. Ziel seiner Tätigkeit ist stets, Mandanten praxisorientierte Lösungen anzubieten und rechtlich fundierte Unterstützung bei der Umsetzung innovativer Geschäftsmodelle zu gewährleisten.

Tags: Cologne Higher Regional CourtCommissionConsumerDresdenEntscheidungenHamburgHamburg District CourtInformationPortalTest

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  • Informationen
    • Ideal partner
    • About lawyer Marian Härtel
    • Quick and flexible access
    • Principles as a lawyer
    • Why a lawyer and business consultant?
    • Focus areas of attorney Marian Härtel
      • Focus on start-ups
      • Investment advice
      • Corporate law
      • Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Games
      • AI and SaaS
      • Streamers and influencers
      • Games and esports law
      • IT/IP Law
      • Law firm for GMBH,UG, GbR
      • Law firm for IT/IP and media law
    • The everyday life of an IT lawyer
    • How can I help clients?
    • Testimonials
    • Team: Saskia Härtel – WHO AM I?
    • Agile and lean law firm
    • Price overview
    • Various information
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Imprint
  • Services
    • Support and advice of agencies
    • Contract review and preparation
    • Games law consulting
    • Consulting for influencers and streamers
    • Advice in e-commerce
    • DLT and Blockchain consulting
    • Legal advice in corporate law: from incorporation to structuring
    • Legal compliance and expert opinions
    • Outsourcing – for companies or law firms
    • Booking as speaker
  • News
    • Gloss / Opinion
    • Law on the Internet
    • Online retail
    • Law and computer games
    • Law and Esport
    • Blockchain and web law
    • Data protection Law
    • Copyright
    • Labour law
    • Competition law
    • Corporate
    • EU law
    • Law on the protection of minors
    • Tax
    • Other
    • Internally
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  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
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    • Contract types
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    • Legal means
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    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
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