• Mehr als 3 Millionen Wörter Inhalt
  • |
  • info@itmedialaw.com
  • |
  • Tel: 03322 5078053
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
Kurzberatung
  • 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 with differentiated influencer decision

7. November 2022
in Law on the Internet
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
0
Key Facts
  • Higher regional courts clarify when influencers are acting commercially and what labeling is necessary
  • Statements made by influencers can be classified as commercial activities, even if they are of an editorial nature.
  • High follower numbers do not automatically mean that the label is dispensable.
  • The line between editorial content and advertising is often blurred and must be clearly defined in legal terms.
  • In case of doubt, influencers must refute the commercial nature of their content.
  • Transparency is required when private and business communications are mixed.
  • The labeling requirement should protect consumers from being misled and regulate economic influences.

For a long time, nothing has been heard from the field of influencer jurisprudence and furthermore, there is no BGH jurisprudence on the subject. Slowly, however, the decisions of various higher regional courts are accumulating and allow at least a vague picture of the questions of when one is acting commercially, when this action is obvious, and when labeling is therefore required.

The first guideline gives quite a bit to evaluate, for example, sponsored posts, etc., whether on websites, as a streamer, or on Instagram:

The fact that statements made by influencers are also of an editorial or informative nature does not prevent them from being assessed as commercial activities, because even journalism-related activities are not exempt from UWG control if they are indirectly financed by advertising.

The second guiding principle takes influencers to task to a certain extent for claiming that commercial activity is obvious just because they have many followers, be it on Twitch, YouTube, Instagram or TikTok:

Labelling influencer messages on Instagram is not always dispensable, even for profiles with a large number of followers, because this service in particular benefits from profile owners not only describing themselves as commercially active, but also as authentic.

This logic should also apply 1:1 to Twitch, but of course also to YouTube, as these are – at least officially – not purely advertising platforms.

The court also comments on the distinction between editorial content and “advertising”

In the view of the Senate, it can neither be concluded across-the-board that even a minor editorial reason already excludes commercial interest, nor that unfairness would have to be assumed solely upon proof of a concrete payment. Rather, it is decisive that § 5a para. 6 UrhG only excludes a presumption in favor of a predominantly commercial intention if, on the one hand, both a concrete payment and an indirect advantage on the part of the benefiting company are excluded and, on the other hand, there is no one-sided and excessive emphasis on the objectively benefiting company.

So, in case of doubt, it is up to the Influencer to disprove the commerciality of a particular piece of content.

On the one hand, the blogger must be allowed to prove that and to what extent the products and accessories presented by him were procured with his own funds, on the other hand, it must be weighed whether and to what extent the texts set to the image representations have an information content and whether the links to the companies objectively benefiting from them are editorially induced and also necessary in the form undertaken in order to fulfill the editorial occasion. In this way, account is taken of the risk potential that social communication in particular carries for consumer interests. Indeed, the labeling requirements for commercial communications are intended to protect consumers from being misled about the actual motivation of a communication, but also to limit economic influences on the content of the communication. The principle, originally developed for broadcasting and the press, is also notable in social communication on services like Instagram. Particularly due to the mixing of private communication with the development of an image of the protagonists that is attractive for corporate communication as a result, a clear separation must be made between commercial and content messages. […] The labeling obligation does not prohibit the mixing of editorial and advertising communication, it only requires the creation of transparency, i.e. in the case of mixing, labeling as advertising. The defendant’s fears that its activities as a whole could be limited or impaired by such a duty are unfounded in this respect. It may communicate in the manner in dispute, but in the absence of self-promotion and in the absence of an editorial reason, it must label the communication as commercially motivated.

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: BghBlogCase lawConsumerDevelopmentEntscheidungenInfluencerInformationInstagramSponsorTikTokTwitchYouTube

Weitere spannende Blogposts

ECJ: Facebook must elicit same and similar comments?

Publication of sales advertisements and classification as a trader
7. November 2022

According to ECJ Advocate General Szpunar, Facebook can be forced to elicit and identify all comments that are word-for-word identical...

Read moreDetails

OLG Braunschweig confirms influencer jurisdiction

7. November 2022

The OLG Braunschweig just confirmed the numerous rulings around influencers and advertising that you can find on my blog, especially...

Read moreDetails

Privacy issues with an asset deal?

4. July 2019

I often accompany startups in so-called asset deals. In principle, contracts are mentioned, for example, in which an online project,...

Read moreDetails

Successfully raising investments through crowdinvestment: opportunities, risks and legal pitfalls for startups

Successfully raising investments through crowdinvestment: opportunities, risks and legal pitfalls for startups
17. May 2023

Introduction to crowdinvestment for startups Crowdinvestment is an intriguing way for startups to raise capital without relying on traditional funding...

Read moreDetails

What about liability with a Discord server?

What about liability with a Discord server?
26. December 2022

For many people, Discord is an indispensable tool for communicating and sharing content online. But who is responsible for the...

Read moreDetails

Data protection in the digital age: Landmark ruling by Cologne Regional Court on the use of Google Analytics

Data protection in the digital age: Landmark ruling by Cologne Regional Court on the use of Google Analytics
11. May 2023

Introduction: An expected verdict and its effects The Cologne Regional Court has sent a signal with a ruling that was...

Read moreDetails

ECJ decides on the place of action of a trademark infringement

International trademark application at WIPO
5. September 2019

Today, the ECJ has taken a highly interesting decision on trade mark law, which could well have the potential to...

Read moreDetails

LG Berlin on the essential characteristics of goods when selling T-shirts online

wegweisendes urteil zu ki trainingsdaten lg hamburg setzt massstaebe
22. January 2024

For esports teams and influencers who are active in online retail and regularly offer merchandise such as T-shirts and hoodies,...

Read moreDetails

Anti-competitive misleading by claiming to be proprietorship of a trade mark?

Attention with Black Friday advertising!
6. September 2019

The Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main has passed a highly interesting new judgment, which is already being discussed...

Read moreDetails
Contractual regulations for no-code/low-code software development
Other

Contractual regulations for no-code/low-code software development

21. May 2025

No-code and low-code platforms enable rapid software development without extensive manual programming. Applications are increasingly being developed on the basis...

Read moreDetails
Erotic content on OnlyFans: Copyright and personality rights protection for creators

Erotic content on OnlyFans: Copyright and personality rights protection for creators

20. May 2025
Goodbye hustle culture? Startup life between 24/7 grind and work-life balance

Goodbye hustle culture? Startup life between 24/7 grind and work-life balance

19. May 2025
Startup buzzwords 2025: Bullshit bingo in marketing German Introduction: Bullshit bingo in marketing German

Startup buzzwords 2025: Bullshit bingo in marketing German Introduction: Bullshit bingo in marketing German

18. May 2025
From the metaverse boom to AI euphoria – a tech lawyer in the hype cycle

From the metaverse boom to AI euphoria – a tech lawyer in the hype cycle

17. May 2025

Podcastfolge

247f58c28882e230e982fa3a32d34dea

Digital sovereignty: Europe’s path to a self-determined digital future

8. December 2024

In this exciting episode of the itmedialaw.com podcast, we take a deep dive into the highly topical subject of digital...

Read moreDetails
052c2ca5ca0421f0316b42073ce61791

Innovative business models – risk and opportunity at the same time

10. September 2024
7c0b449a651fe0b81e5eec2e23515012 2

Copyright in the digital age

15. January 2025
75df8eaa33cd7d3975a96b022c65c6e4

Life as an IT lawyer, work-life balance, family and my career

26. September 2024
4f3597d5481e0f38e37bf80eaad208c7

The IT Media Law Podcast. Episode No. 1: What is this actually about?

26. August 2024

Video

My transparent billing

My transparent billing

10. February 2025

In this video, I talk a bit about transparent billing and how I communicate what it costs to work with...

Read moreDetails
Fascination between law and technology

Fascination between law and technology

10. February 2025
My two biggest challenges are?

My two biggest challenges are?

10. February 2025
What really makes me happy

What really makes me happy

10. February 2025
What I love about my job!

What I love about my job!

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
  • 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