Cologne Bar Court, 06.03.2013, Ref.: 10 EV 8/13
Please note: The TMG (Telemedia Act) has been replaced by the DDG (Digital Services Act). However, the decision is likely still relevant in content. You can find an overview here. Please note: The TMG has been replaced by the DDG, but the decision likely remains relevant. An overview can be found here.
Every lawyer in Germany is subject to professional law when practising their profession. This is codified in the Federal Lawyers' Act (BRAO) and the Professional Code of Conduct for Lawyers (BORA). Section 43 BRAO standardises the general duty to exercise the profession of lawyer conscientiously and to prove oneself worthy of the respect and trust that the position of lawyer requires, both within and outside the profession.
If the lawyer violates professional law, the competent lawyers' court can decide on professional law measures against the lawyer. The Lawyers' Disciplinary Court is a judicial institution under professional law.
In the case discussed here, the Cologne Bar Court had to decide whether a lawyer in Cologne had violated professional law because he did not provide an imprint on his website in accordance with the requirements of Section 5 TMG.
You can create a personalized and free imprint using our imprint generator.
Facts of the Case:
Practising lawyer had provided insufficient information in the legal notice
The lawyer had only listed his name, address and telephone number on his website. As a result, claims were first made against him out of court and then in court.
After an out-of-court warning, he was sued
The lawyer sued took the view that his information was sufficient. He would not be advertising with the website, the website was most comparable to an entry in the telephone directory.
Decision of the Cologne Bar Court
Cologne Bar Court considered the lawyer to have violated competition law
The Cologne Bar Court did not agree with the lawyer's opinion. Like every service provider, he had to maintain an imprint on his website in accordance with Section 5 TMG. This was because he had advertised his work as a lawyer to the general public via the website. He had wanted to use the website to draw the attention of potential clients to himself and his work and thus advertised.
By failing to provide a legal notice, he had breached his duty to practise his profession conscientiously (Section 43 BRAO).
Source: Cologne Bar Court
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You can create a personalized and free imprint using our imprint generator.
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