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Read aloud:
Every business owner must comply with certain legal obligations when setting up their website. Failure to do so risks receiving warnings under competition law.
One of the most important rules for all website operators: The imprint must be easily recognizable, immediately accessible, and constantly available. Especially important for tradespeople: They must also list their local Chamber of Crafts as the supervisory authority. If the imprint is incorrect or incomplete, they may face a warning under competition law.
The name and address of the website operator must be included in any case – a P.O. box is not sufficient. Contact information such as an email address and telephone number are also important, at least one of which must be a basic rate number. A VAT identification number or business identification number must also be provided (it's better not to include the tax number assigned by the tax office). Registration information is also mandatory, i.e., the registration numbers from the commercial, association, partnership, or cooperative register, as well as the responsible registration court.
For legal entities, the legal form must be stated, as well as the full first and last names of the authorized representative(s). Craft businesses requiring official licensing must also provide the contact address of the responsible supervisory authority. If in doubt, refer to the Chamber of Crafts and Trades and the relevant guild. Information on share capital or registered capital only needs to be provided if not all contributions have been paid in. In this case, the total amount of contributions and the outstanding amount must be stated.
For journalistic and editorial content, the name and address of the person responsible must be included. This applies to blogs, news, and generally all content that goes beyond pure advertising copy. Sample imprints and other tips for a correct website can be found in the free guide "Legally Compliant Websites" on www.website-check.de
"You need a privacy policy on your website that addresses all active JavaScript content – for example, Facebook or Twitter – contained on a page," explains attorney Marcus Dury LL.M., a specialist in information technology law. "Ideally, this policy should have its own link and not be included in the imprint. However, the latter is not illegal."
Text optimized for search engines is protected by copyright. Therefore, if a tradesperson has gone to great lengths to make their website easily discoverable for Google and other search engines, they own the copyright to that text.
Craft policy
The Chambers of Skilled Crafts in Germany - HWK Trier
Valid contracts are only concluded online when a private customer expressly confirms the purchase by clicking the "Payable Order" button. Tradespeople must also comply with this so-called button solution.
For Google Analytics, you should follow the recommendations of the independent data protection center Saarland (www.website-check.de ). This approach ensures every business owner is on the safe side. Heise Media Group has developed a so-called two-click solution for the Facebook Like button . All links and more practical tips, as well as a free guide to legally compliant websites, can be found here: www.website-check.de
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