This article is meant to help Hetzner clients who have questions about impressum pages, and why they may need one for their commercial website, online shop, interface, or other place where they publish online content.
The information in this article is just general information. It is not qualified legal advice, and it is not official advice from Hetzner. Please check with an expert if you are unsure about what is best for you or your business.
What is an impressum page?
This is a page that states the legal owner and author of the website, portal, online service, online shop, etc. It also includes contact information about the owner/author or online publisher.
"Impressum" is a Latin word that has been used for a long time in German publishing, and it means something like "imprint" or "copyright page" in printed publications. Some people translate "impressum page" as "legal notice", "legal disclosure" or "legal contact information" or something similar. Some websites may translate it a bit awkwardly as "imprint" or "impression".
Why do I need to have an impressum page?
The German "Telemediengesetz" (Telemedia Act) requires that published content (books, newspapers, magazines, websites, published business communications, etc.) include an impressum. In printed media, like books, that means there is a page in the book with this information. In this way, it is similar to other countries' laws about copyrighted published material.
In a similar way, you need to have an impressum page for websites, portals, interfaces, online shops, and so on. It states who is legally responsible for the online content.
Austria and Switzerland have similar laws. They also have a lot of German speakers. That is why guidelines about impressum pages refer to 'German speaking countries'.
Impressum pages are meant to make it easier to find the person who is legally responsible for online published material. This makes it easier to contact an administrator, for example, if a website is using copyrighted material or if an organization is sending spam, or if there is some other sort of legal issue.
How does an impressum page help with email delivery?
Having an impressum page may help prevent you from having trouble sending emails. Some providers, such as Deutsche Telekom (DTAG), may block mail from commercial users who do not have an impressum page.
Where on my website should I put the impressum page?
The law states that an online impressum page must be:
- easy to find
- It should be within one or two clicks of your home page. Or you can include a link to it at the header or footer of every page on your website. Make sure the links work.
- Give the page a recognizable name (like 'Impressum' or 'Legal notice').
- always available & correct
- The page should always remain up. Make sure the information on it is correct and up to date.
Do I need an impressum page if my website is non-commercial?
No, if your website is non-commercial, you do not need an impressum. For example, if you write a private blog just for you and your friends and family members, and you do not earn any money from the blog, this is non-commercial.
Does my business/company need an impressum page?
If you do business in a German speaking country, you should have one as a general rule. If you are not sure, ask an expert.
Do I need an impressum page if my commerical website uses a .de domain?
If it is a commercial page, yes.
Do I need an impressum page even if my website doesn't use a .de domain?
That is a bit of a grey area. If your company does business with (a large number of) German speaking clients or customers, you should probably have one. This is especially true if your website is also in German or if your company provides customer service in German.
Do I need an impressum page even if my company isn't based in Germany?
Again, this is a bit of a grey area. If your commercial website receives (a large number of) visitors from German speaking countries, then you should probably have one.
What do I need to include on my impressum page?
Your impressum page should include:
- publisher - the full name of the legal publisher (the business or company name is fine here)
- publisher's email address, postal address, and telephone number; (optional) fax number (again, you can use your company's contact information)
- your company's trade registry number and where/how it is registered
- the VAT or tax number for your company or its equivalent
- the type of company
Optional additional information:
- company leaders (for example, the CEO or board members)
- contact information for German-language support
- the name and contact information for your data protection officer if you have one
- information about legal dispute resolutions
- copyright information
- legal disclaimers
Does the impressum page need to be in German and English?
It is good to have a German and an English version. (English speakers may also find it useful.) If your website is not in German, it is okay to just have an English version.
Examples
Here are some examples of impressum pages in English and German. You may find them helpful.
- Club-Mate, English
- Club-Mate, German
- Cherry AG, English
- Cherry AG, German
- German Red Cross, English
- German Red Cross, German
- Mercedes-Benz AG, English
- Mercedes-Benz AG, German
- FC Bayern München, English
- FC Bayner München, German
- Hetzner Online GmbH, English
- Hetzner Online, GmbH, German
Are there impressum generators?
Yes, there are. But most of them are for generating German-language impressum pages and are in German themselves. Therefore, it may be more helpful to contact an expert or to look at the examples above. Here are a few, or you can do an Internet search for others.