Tort Law — Personality and Privacy Rights
| Date | Citation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 05.12.2006 | BGH VI ZR 45/05 | |
| 26.10.2006 | I ZR 182/04 | |
| 13.06.2006 | BVerfG 1 BvR 565/06 | |
| 14.02.2005 | BVerfG 1 BvR 240/04 | |
| 09.12.2003 | BGH VI ZR 38/03 | Interrogative sentences (or parts of them), which are not designed to induce an answer with a content which is not yet established, are in fact statements amounting either to value judgements or assertions of fact. Legally, they must be treated as such. A claim for correction is thus successful. §§ 823, 1004 BGB |
| 09.12.2003 | BGH VI ZR 373/02 | Invasion of privacy by publication of aerial photographs of holiday home with claimant's name justified by press freedom as claimant was well known public figure and had already publicised information about it. Publication of directions for finding property not justified; action against person supplying information to magazine thus possible. |
| 11.07.2002 | BGH 1 ZR 285/99 | Dispute about the reproduction of a press photo from the newspaper "Bild" in the magazine "Focus" |
| 09.10.2000 | BVerfG NJW-RR 2001, 411 I. Senate, 1. Kammer (1 BvR 1839/95) | Accusation of involvement in collusion regarding a merger agreement Value judgement, not statement of fact or abuse Freedom of expression of opinion prevailed, especially for shareholders Art. 2 I, 1 I, 5 I + II, 103 I GG § 93 a II BVerfGG §§ 823, 1004 BGB § 186 StGB |
| 01.12.1999 | BGHZ 143, 214 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 49/97) | Financially valuable components of the right of personality extend beyond the death of the deceased |
| 29.06.1999 | BGH NJW 1999, 2893 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 264/98) | Publication of the reasons for a divorce (celebrity figure) Extent of privacy rights Weighing of (competing) basic rights: general right of personality, freedom of speech and freedom of the press Case note Art. 1, 2, 5 GG §§ 823, 1004 BGB |
| 13.10.1998 | BGH NJW 1999, 279 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 357/97) | Statement affecting the business or credit of others (whether/when actionable) § 823 BGB |
| 02.04.1998 | BGHZ 138, 257 III. Civil Senate (III ZR 245/96) | Liability of auditors for incorrect information (scope and extent) § 328 BGB §§ 316 ff., 323 HGB |
| 19.12.1995 | BGHZ 131, 332 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 15/95) Paparazzi -decision | Caroline von Monaco case Paparazzi photographs as infringements of personality rights Absolute person of contemporary history Art. 2, 5 GG §§ 22, 23 KunstUrhG |
| 12.12.1995 | BGH NJW 1996, 985 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 223/94) | Claim by son of absolute person of contemporary history of right in respect of photos taken in everyday situations under § 823 I BGB, § 22 KUG and Art. 1 and 2 GG Repeated and obstinate violation of right to his image and personality right and profit motive justified compensation Need for prevention relevant No justified public interest in information about claimant § 823 I GG § 22 KUG Art. 1, 2 GG |
| 05.12.1995 | BGH NJW 1996, 984 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 332/94) | Claim for serious violation of the right of personality under § 823 I BGB and Art. 1 and 2 GG False impression given that claimant was ill Profit motive Concept of prevention rather than settlement and satisfaction applied in measuring compensation § 823 I BGB Art. 1, 2 GG |
| 15.11.1994 | BGHZ 128, 1 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 56/94) Caroline von Monaco -decision | False press statements Possible liability Case note Art. 1 I, 2 I, 5 I GG §§ 823, 1004 BGB |
| 12.10.1993 | BGH NJW 1994, 124 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 23/93) | Satirical posters by Greenpeace giving the names, pictures and telephone numbers of chairmen of companies producing substances which depleted ozone layer (matter of public debate in which company management had already taken part) Right of freedom of expression prevailed over personality right of chairman Art. 1 I, 2 I, 5 I GG §§ 823, 1004 I BGB §§ 22, 23 KunstUrhG |
| 02.06.1987 | OLG Köln NJW 1987, 2682 XV. Civil Senate (15 U 39/87) Subsequent developments |
Art. 5 I, II GG Art. 6 II MRK ¿¿¿¿ 823, I, II BGB ¿¿¿¿ 186, 193 StGB |
| 21.05.1987 | OLG Hamburg NJW-RR 1988, 737 | Claim for damages resulting from the publication of misleading headline in a newspaper Case note |
| 13.01.1983 | OLG Oldenburg 6 U 107/82 | A grave invasion of a human being's right of personality may require the granting of monetary compensation for non-pecuniary loss §§ 823, 847 (old) BGB |
| 09.12.1982 | OLG Stuttgart 4 U 84/82 | Every consent is a declaration of will that needs to be received §§ 823, 830, 840 BGB; § 23 KUG; § 51 UrhG |
| 19.12.1978 | BGHZ 73, 120 VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 137/77) | Tapping of a telephone conversation between politicians Extent of protection afforded by privacy Case note Art. 5 I GG § 823 BGB |
| 19.09.1961 | BGHZ 35, 365, 369 ff. VI. Civil Senate (VI ZR 259/60) Ginsengwurzel -decision =NJW 1961, 2059 See NJW 1962, 736 for an approving note by Rötelmann and VersR 1962, 350, 562 for a approving note by Hubmann | Violation of general right of personality Claimant law professor imported ginseng for fellow academic's research; defendant advertised its ginseng product mentioning its aphrodisiac qualities and claimant's view on its value Attack on personality right under § 823 Adequate compensation for non-material damage required by values in Constitution No equivalence with physical harm as harder to measure Satisfaction appropriate because of seriousness of attack and fault Art. 1, 2 GG §§ 253, 823, 847 BGB |
| 14.02.1958 | BGHZ 26, 349 I. Civil Senate (I ZR 151/56) Herrenreiter -decision = NJW 58, 827 | Appropriation of image Claim for damages Case note Art. 1, 2 GG § 847 BGB § 22 KunstUrhG |
| 25.05.1954 | BGHZ 13, 334 I. Civil Senate (I ZR 211/53) Leserbrief/Schacht -decision = NJW 1954, 1404 = JZ 1954, 698 | Misleading information in journal Remedies for the violation of personality rights Case note Art. 1, 2 GG § 823 I BGB |