Operator of the shutdown screens in Zurich puts up a fight
The city of Zurich switched off the power to four advertising screens in Niederdorf on Thursday. Now the operator of the flat screens, Jürg Knecht from the company Citylights, is speaking out. He is of the opinion that the city has confronted the Federal Court in its statement against its better judgment with arguments that have no basis in reality.
The city of Zurich switched off the power to four advertising screens in Niederdorf last week. In doing so, it is implementing a Federal Court ruling, as the operator of the screens had not complied with the switch-off order, according to a statement from the city. The Federal Court had not yet ruled on the admissibility of the advertising. However, it has demanded that the operators take the devices out of operation until a final decision is made.
Now the operator of the flat screens, Jürg Knecht from the company Citylights, is speaking out. His company has been denied suspensive effect; however, the city of Zurich should by no means have enforced the "disproportionate enforcement", according to a statement.
Knecht writes that the city has, against its better judgment, confronted the Federal Supreme Court with arguments in its response to the appeal that are hair-raising and lack any real basis. The city claims that structural changes have been made to the shop windows in which the flat screens are installed.
According to Knecht, however, the city is aware of letters from the building owners testifying that the showcases have existed for over forty years, were illuminated and have always been used for third-party advertising. However, the display cases had often been vandalized or had posters stuck all over them. Knecht then installed flat screens in the display cases.
With its response to the complaint, the city is now obscuring the fact that a shop window in itself is an advertising installation and not its furnishings. The case involves arbitrariness, legal inequality and a massive restriction of freedom of trade and commerce, Knecht continues: "This is no trivial matter". He now hopes that the Federal Supreme Court will rule in his favor.
Now the operator of the flat screens, Jürg Knecht from the company Citylights, is speaking out. His company has been denied suspensive effect; however, the city of Zurich should by no means have enforced the "disproportionate enforcement", according to a statement.
Knecht writes that the city has, against its better judgment, confronted the Federal Supreme Court with arguments in its response to the appeal that are hair-raising and lack any real basis. The city claims that structural changes have been made to the shop windows in which the flat screens are installed.
According to Knecht, however, the city is aware of letters from the building owners testifying that the showcases have existed for over forty years, were illuminated and have always been used for third-party advertising. However, the display cases had often been vandalized or had posters stuck all over them. Knecht then installed flat screens in the display cases.
With its response to the complaint, the city is now obscuring the fact that a shop window in itself is an advertising installation and not its furnishings. The case involves arbitrariness, legal inequality and a massive restriction of freedom of trade and commerce, Knecht continues: "This is no trivial matter". He now hopes that the Federal Supreme Court will rule in his favor.
