Watch out for copyright on jointly managed Instagram accounts!

In a recent ruling by the Berlin Regional Court dated 27.09.2023 (Ref.: 15 U 464/23), there are exciting statements that are of particular interest to influencers and operators of commercial Instagram accounts

The plaintiff took action against the publication of a copyright-protected graphic that was published on the defendant’s Instagram account. The defendant defended herself by arguing that it was not she who had published the post, but her daughter. The Berlin Regional Court nevertheless affirmed the defendant’s liability by classifying it as a disruptive party. The court decision is based on the facts that the defendant had passed on the access data to her daughter. The court followed the case law of the Federal Court of Justice, according to which anyone who has in any way intentionally and adequately contributed to the infringement of a protected good is liable as a disturber for a copyright infringement (BGH, judgment of October 18, 2001 – I ZR 22/99).

For influencers and commercial operators of Instagram accounts, where it is common for several people to have access to an account, this ruling provides an important insight: the disclosure of access data can lead to liability for the actions of third parties, even if the account holder was not directly involved in the infringing act. This ruling highlights the need to exercise caution when granting access rights to social media accounts. Especially in cases where several people have access to an account, clear agreements and guidelines should be made regarding the publication of content. Particular attention must be paid to compliance with copyrights.

The decision makes it clear that the responsibility for sharing content lies not only with the person who writes the post, but also with the person who enables access. For influencers and account operators, this means an increased duty of care to protect themselves from liability for copyright infringements. In order to minimize legal risks, account holders, especially in the commercial sector, should implement precise control and monitoring mechanisms to protect themselves from liability for copyright infringements.

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.