• Mehr als 3 Millionen Wörter Inhalt
  • |
  • info@itmedialaw.com
  • |
  • Tel: 03322 5078053
Kurzberatung
Rechtsanwalt Marian Härtel - ITMediaLaw

No products in the cart.

  • en English
  • de Deutsch
  • 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
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
  • 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
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
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
0
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

Weitere spannende Blogposts

Tech nerd as lawyer: my path and why my tech expertise is an advantage

Tech nerd as lawyer: my path and why my tech expertise is an advantage
31. March 2023

I have been playing computer games since I was 6 years old and have been in the computer game industry...

Read moreDetails

Minimum wage for help in esports, streams or news portals

Minimum wage for help in esports, streams or news portals
26. March 2019

In recent months, I have often been critical of issues that I consider to be very problematic in the areas...

Read moreDetails

Landmark court case: AI training vs. copyright

Landmark court case: AI training vs. copyright
13. August 2024

Introduction: A precedent with far-reaching consequences The case of Robert Kneschke against LAION e.V. marks a milestone in the legal...

Read moreDetails

Warning because of double optin e-mail

Warning because of double optin e-mail
7. November 2022

Today I became aware of a decision of the Berlin Regional Court that obligated a sender of a confirmation e-mail...

Read moreDetails

Q&A: Legal requirements for a player transfer in esports.

Q&A: Legal requirements for a player transfer in esports.
7. November 2022

Recently I wrote a few key points about what you might have to consider when signing a contract for a...

Read moreDetails

#FreedomOfTagging: Influencer and the VSW

Brief reminder: Influencer as target of warning letters
21. December 2018

Influencer marketing is currently a hot topic again. This time it concerns Instagram influencer Vanessa Blumenthal, who continues to be...

Read moreDetails

Regulation of DLT – a brief overview

Regulation of DLT – a brief overview
2. December 2022

Regulation of DLT (distributed ledger technology) is a hot topic in the crypto world. Many executives and decision makers are...

Read moreDetails

Guide: Advertising labelling in social media offers

Guide: Advertising labelling in social media offers
24. April 2019

Now I have already written many times about the topic of influencers, separation bids or advertising labels in the blog...

Read moreDetails

German courts have jurisdiction at .de Domain

German courts have jurisdiction at .de Domain
20. March 2019

Time and again, especially with international Internet portals, the question arises as to whether German courts have jurisdiction, for example...

Read moreDetails
KI-Content für Abo-Plattformen
Other

KI-Content für Abo-Plattformen

29. September 2025

Auf Abo-Plattformen wie OnlyFans werden KI-Workflows zum Produktionsstandard: Face- und Body-Retusche, Stil-Transfer, Hintergrundtausch, Upscaling, Voice-Clones für mehrsprachige Clips, bis hin...

Read moreDetails
E-Sport endlich gemeinnützig? Was der Regierungsentwurf zum Steueränderungsgesetz 2025 wirklich bringt

E-Sport endlich gemeinnützig? Was der Regierungsentwurf zum Steueränderungsgesetz 2025 wirklich bringt

23. September 2025
Vereine, Fotos und Minderjährige: Einwilligungen sauber managen

Vereine, Fotos und Minderjährige: Einwilligungen sauber managen

22. September 2025
AI-Gesichter, Voice-Clones und Deepfakes in Werbung: Spielregeln nach EU-AI-Act und deutschem Recht

AI-Gesichter, Voice-Clones und Deepfakes in Werbung: Spielregeln nach EU-AI-Act und deutschem Recht

17. September 2025
Modding in EULAs und Verträgen – was gilt rechtlich in Deutschland?

Modding in EULAs und Verträgen – was gilt rechtlich in Deutschland?

8. September 2025

Podcastfolge

Legal challenges when implementing confidential computing: data protection and encryption in the cloud

Smart Contracts und Blockchain

22. December 2024

In dieser fesselnden Podcast-Episode tauch ich tief in die Welt der Blockchain-Technologie und Smart Contracts ein. Die 25-minütige Folge beleuchtet,...

Read moreDetails
Rechtliche Risiken bei langen Entwicklungszeiten und der Stornierung von Crowdfundingspielen

Rechtliche Risiken bei langen Entwicklungszeiten und der Stornierung von Crowdfundingspielen

20. April 2025
Innovative Geschäftsmodelle – Risiko und Chance zugleich

Innovative Geschäftsmodelle – Risiko und Chance zugleich

10. September 2024
Digitale Souveränität: Europas Weg in eine selbstbestimmte digitale Zukunft

Digitale Souveränität: Europas Weg in eine selbstbestimmte digitale Zukunft

12. November 2024
Leben als IT-Anwalt, Work-Life Balance, Familie und meine Karriere

Leben als IT-Anwalt, Work-Life Balance, Familie und meine Karriere

25. September 2024

Video

Mein transparente Abrechnung

Mein transparente Abrechnung

10. February 2025

In diesem Video rede ich ein wenig über transparente Abrechnung und wie ich kommuniziere, was es kostet, wenn man mit...

Read moreDetails
Faszination zwischen und Recht und Technologie

Faszination zwischen und Recht und Technologie

10. February 2025
Meine zwei größten Herausforderungen sind?

Meine zwei größten Herausforderungen sind?

10. February 2025
Was mich wirklich freut

Was mich wirklich freut

10. February 2025
Was ich an meinem Job liebe!

Was ich an meinem Job liebe!

10. February 2025
  • Privacy policy
  • Imprint
  • Contact
  • About lawyer Marian Härtel
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

Willkommen im ITMediaLaw Shop. Beachten Sie auch die Bundle Angebote. Dismiss

  • 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
  • Podcast
    • ITMediaLaw Podcast
  • Knowledge base
    • Laws
    • Legal terms
    • Contract types
    • Clause types
    • Forms of financing
    • Legal means
    • Authorities
    • Company forms
    • Tax
    • Concepts
  • Videos
    • Information videos – about Marian Härtel
    • Videos – about me (Couch)
    • Blogpost – individual videos
    • Videos on services
    • Shorts
    • Podcast format
    • Third-party videos
    • Other videos
  • Contact
  • en English
  • de Deutsch
Kostenlose Kurzberatung