Handle claims in Germany

Instagram first: what holds up in Germany

German law gives a claimant more to point at than a register entry. Besides marks registered with the DPMA or the EU, the Markengesetz protects company designations and work titles that are in use, and section 12 of the Civil Code protects a person’s name against unauthorised use. For Instagram’s forms these are background facts: they show why the name is yours, and the platform still decides whether the handle moves.

The four official routes are set out in the routes guide and compared on the routes comparison.

What to have ready in Germany

For a request from Germany the useful evidence is a mark on the DPMA register or an EU trade mark, a company designation or work title in real use, a name right under section 12 of the Civil Code, or proof that a profile is posing as you. The preparation checklist lists the rest: the exact handle, the profile it is for, and what ties the name to you.

Never send a password or a login code. Nobody who needs one is working through an official route. See claim scams.

TikTok and Snapchat from Germany

Commercial profiles in Germany generally need an imprint, the Impressum, under the Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz. That is a duty about who runs the profile, and it has nothing to do with winning a handle, but a clean imprint on the receiving profile avoids a separate problem. TikTok and Snapchat claims rest on their trademark and infringement forms.

Handle limits for both are on the TikTok rules and Snapchat rules pages.

Local references for Germany

• Trade marks: the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA).
• Personal data: the GDPR and the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG), with the state and federal data protection authorities as the regulator.
• Consumer and advertising matters: the Bundesnetzagentur and the consumer protection bodies.
• Languages: German.
• Currency for the price: euro (EUR). The price is agreed in your chat or email before work starts.

These are reference points, not legal advice. A platform’s decision on a handle follows its own policy.

How a request from Germany usually runs

1. You send the handle you want and the profile it is for, on WhatsApp or email, and say you are in Germany.
2. We look at whether an official route fits the facts and tell you if it looks workable.
3. The price is agreed in chat before any work starts.
4. The request is filed with each platform’s process. The platform makes the final decision, and a claim that fails is covered by the refund policy.