Overview

• Since mid-July, Carlsen Verlag has sent removal notices to more than ten creators and filed its first criminal complaint over unauthorized Conni memes.
• The criminal complaint targets far-right activist Thomas Brauner for sharing a racist Conni parody on his Telegram channel.
• Carlsen has clarified it will not litigate harmless fan-made memes and will pursue legal action only for racist, violent, pornographic or commercial uses.
• Legal experts point to Paragraph 51a of the Copyright Act, which allows caricature, parody and pastiche uses of protected works without permission.
• Observers say the dispute illustrates growing tensions between traditional intellectual property enforcement and participatory online culture.