Federal Court of Justice allows free newspapers
Germany Two years after the closure of *20 Minuten Köln*, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled that free newspapers are legal.
Germany Two years after the discontinuation of 20 Minuten Köln, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has declared free newspapers to be legal, dismissing in the last instance a lawsuit brought by the Cologne-based publisher Dumont Schauberg, which wanted to stop the free distribution of daily newspapers.
considered to be anti-competitive.
It is true that it is fundamentally anti-competitive if a service that is usually offered for a fee is given away on a large scale, the BGH states. On the other hand, however, no one is entitled to the
unchanged retention of its customer base. The distribution of a newspaper that is financed solely by advertisements is not impermissible from the outset. Not only traditional daily newspapers, but also free newspapers could invoke the protection of press freedom.
considered to be anti-competitive.
It is true that it is fundamentally anti-competitive if a service that is usually offered for a fee is given away on a large scale, the BGH states. On the other hand, however, no one is entitled to the
unchanged retention of its customer base. The distribution of a newspaper that is financed solely by advertisements is not impermissible from the outset. Not only traditional daily newspapers, but also free newspapers could invoke the protection of press freedom.
