Abmahnung
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An Abmahnung (German term for a written warning) is a formal request by one person to another person to forthwith stop a certain behaviour.
If this formal request is made by an
In most cases, the law allows the party sending the letter to demand payment of legal costs associated with the sending of the letter. In theory, this allows anybody that observes a violation of a law that may be covered by an Abmahnung to hire an attorney, have a letter sent, and be reimbursed for the attorney's fees. Reimbursement of attorney's fees is excluded in cases of violations against information requirements, if the violation is committed on the internet and the filer is a competitor.[2] Since the enormous proliferation of web sites, there have been waves of frivolous Abmahnungen, the so-called Abmahnwellen, as lawyers and copyright holders search for even minor and usually unintended violations of e.g. copyright law on the internet, with some law firms sending thousands of letters per year demanding payment.[3]
References
- ^ "Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb (UWG) § 8 Beseitigung und Unterlassung". Gesetze in Internet. Bundesamt für Justiz. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ "Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb (UWG) § 13 Abmahnung; Unterlassungsverpflichtung; Haftung". Gesetze im Internet. Bundesamt für Justiz. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Solmecke, Christian; Dierking, Laura (2009). "Die Rechtsmissbräuchlichkeit von Abmahnungen" (PDF). Multimedia und Recht (in German). 11: 727ff. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2012.