Overview
- A Berlin appellate court has ordered Amazon to stop listing an Impressum email that returns automated rejections and the judgment is reported as legally final.
- The Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband tested the Impressum address, received an auto‑reply saying the address does not accept incoming mail, warned Amazon, and then sued when Amazon refused a cease‑and‑desist declaration.
- The 5th Civil Senate found that the Digitale‑Dienste‑Gesetz requires a listed email to enable fast, direct and efficient contact and that an auto‑reply that effectively refuses receipt violates that duty.
- The case was decided as a default judgment after Amazon’s EU representative did not respond or appear, and the court attached enforceable penalties including order fines up to €250,000 or order imprisonment up to six months plus court costs.
- The ruling clarifies that companies may use automated tools to process messages internally but may not nullify the public Impressum channel, a change that forces commercial websites targeting German users to review contact practices and compliance.