Do you really think that Apple, Facebook and 1&1 have nothing in common? They do – unfair terms and conditions clauses. CHIP has revealed together with lawyer Hagen Hild those cases.

In the two-day event “IT Law – organise and manage contents, communication and business legally steady on the Internet” within the lecture series “JuraBasics – Law for non-lawyers” of the University of Augsburg, certified lawyer Hagen Hild will impart practise-oriented knowledge. Lawyer Hild is a certified lawyer in IT-Law and in Protection of Industrial Property and daily advises clients in this area for almost 10 years. The event will take place on Friday 16/07 and Saturday 17/07 from 9 am to 5:30 pm.

Judgement of the LG Köln (Regional Court Köln) of 10/06/2009, file number: 28 S 4/09

The eBay assessment comment “never, never, never again! Money back, however goods kept – insulting and impudent!!!” stands on expressions of opinion elements as well as on statements of facts. As long as the facts are true at the time of the assertion of the comment and establish ties with the expressions of opinion to the factual reference, this is not an inadmissible abusive criticism. In view of the economic interests of the eBay users and the function of the assessment, easy to remember formulations may be also used. A claim to deletion of the assessment is not...

Press release of BGH (Federal Supreme Court) No 200/09 about the judgement of 30/09/2009, file number: VIII ZR 7/09

The Federal Supreme Court has decided in a leading decision about the possibility for natural people, who can appeal as consumers as well as entrepreneurs due to freelance activity, to rely on the consumer protection rights. The consumer quality and the resulting rights may be denied only if the action is without doubt objectively recognized as an exclusively commercial action. If the private sphere of the legal business cannot be excluded, the consumer protections rights should be applied. Sellers should prepare for the fact that also...

Judgement of LG Hannover (Regional Court Hannover) of 13/05/2009, file number: 6 O 102/08

Following assessment comment on the platform eBay is an allowed expression of opinion: "Mobile phone as "NEW" offered – mobile phone + accessories used – I call this fraud!!!!" The statement is marked by elements opinion and estimation. Besides, a juridical term is used to express the legal view and the expression of opinion. The negative assessment comment depends on the personal review of the evaluating.

Decision of LG Frankfurt / Main (Regional Court Frankfurt/Main) of 27/04/2009, file number: 3-06 O 1/09

The judges in the Regional Court Frankfurt have decided that merely the hint of the ebay shop seller, assuring that the stove on sale has been covered with stove blacking, is not enough to disclose the effectiveness of the stove. Knowing that the stove blacking can indeed come off and can smell after firing, a usual potential buyer cannot conclude that the stove does not work at all.

Judgement of LG München I (Regional Court Munich I) of 07/04/2009, file number: 33 O 1936/08

Who buys and sells certain things which are not assigned to the everyday life, also on small scale, on eBay and also without profit achievement intention, is entrepreneur according to § 14 BGB (German Civil Code). This would be understood in particular if inspection dates have been agreed for the objects. Only low demands are to be made in this respect to the entrepreneur's quality.

Decision of LG Düsseldorf (Regional Court Dusseldorf) of 20/11/2008, file number: 38 O 61/08

The right of withdrawal can be substituted with a right to refund concerning the sales in an Internet platform. Indeed, neither the legal regulation §356 paragraph 1 BGB (German Civil Code) nor the consumer protection regulations reveals the need to advise of it on the conclusion of the contract.

Decision of LG Hamburg (Regional Court Hamburg) of 22/09/2008, file number: 310 O 357/08

The unlicensed use of a photo (§72 UrhG - Copyright Act) on the Internet (here: ebay) is to be understood as a public available-making in terms of §19a UrhG (Copyright Act). An injunctive relief and removal claim of the right holder (§97 I UrhG - Copyright Acts) arises from it. The omission duty applies because of the supposed repetition risk to all still retrievable pictures which may be removed. For clearing the supposition it requires the release of a serious and adequately penal-reinforced undertaking to cease and desist. On this case, it does not depend on a...

Judgement of LG Hamburg (Regional Court Hamburg) of 29/01/2009, file number: 327 O 583/08

If the behaviour of the defendant does not originate a claim, the plaintiff must carry the costs of the proceedings. As in dispute over commercial trade practises via statutory declaration, most probably because a missing access of the warning letter which postal and electronic receipt was already received by the defendant, this does not originate a claim. This is also valid if the defendant recognises conclusive arrangements except the order for payment of costs. The plaintiff must pay the costs of the proceeding.

Judgement of AG München (Local Court Munich) of 09/05/2008, file number: 223 C 30401/07

The setting up of a sales offer in an Internet platform (here Ebay) is an active binding offer on conclusion of the purchase contract (§§145 and the following BGB - German Civil Code) to the highest bid and precisely not an auction (§156 BGB - German Civil Code). The double setting up of an article is not an obstacle for an effective declaration of intent, since a confidential reservation (§116 p. 1 BGB - German Civil Code) of the seller is given. Should the offer not correspond to the will of the setting up, a prompt rescission is likewise considered. We already...