Lina’s online shop is up and running. For weeks, she sat with her co-founder Thilo at all hours of the day and night, fine-tuned the design, and entered articles and product descriptions into the product categories. However, the shop cannot yet go online, because the most important thing is missing: the provider identification prescribed in Section 5 of the Telemedia Act (TMG). Put simply: an imprint. A must for every website provider. In this blog, we’ll give a list of top imprint generators.
Imprint: What is it for?
Section 5 of the Telemedia Act provides for clear provider identification. The website visitor must be able to find all information about the operator in a fixed place and at any time. All mandatory information such as address, name, and direct contact details must always be accessible and available. If the provider is obliged to participate in a dispute settlement procedure, he must also specify the consumer arbitration board. In the case of companies, the competent chamber of crafts must also be specified. This also applies to the job title and the information on the professional regulations. It should also be clear which type of company you are running.
What must be included in an imprint? This differs from case to case. If you practice a so-called regulated profession, you have to provide different information in the imprint than someone who sells products online. You can find more information on this in our detailed article Imprint on the website: It is important to note this.
Mandatory information to identify you as the provider of the website is always the following:
- Full first and last name (artist names are excluded)
- Specification of a summonable address with street, house number and postal code
- phone number
- An e-mail address; this may not be linked to a contact form or integrated as a graphic
A post office box does not fall under a summonable address, because neither a company nor a natural person can be found there properly. It should therefore be ensured that a court letter can be served in the event of a legal dispute.
I run a private website – do I still need an imprint?
§ 5 of the Telemedia Act says: purely private websites are not affected by the imprint obligation. But caution is advised. If you offer journalistic-editorial content, for example in the form of a blog, the site falls under the provisions of Section 55 of the Interstate Broadcasting Treaty (RSTV) and is therefore subject to provider identification.
If you
published on your page, this is no longer considered a purely private page. So it is your duty to identify yourself.
What happens if I don’t have an imprint on my website?
An imprint that is incomplete or even created with incorrect information is an improperly created one. This can be punished with a fine for committing an administrative offense under the TMG. In the worst case, you could face a fine of up to 50,000 euros.
In addition, by disclosing your identity on the Internet, each of your website visitors gains more trust in you and your company, because you show yourself to be accessible and transparent. That should be another reason for you to post an imprint.
What is an imprint generator?
An imprint generator is a tool that generates a legally binding and warning-proof imprint based on the data you enter – tailored to your company form, your blog, your online shop, or your company’s appearance on social media platforms. The final legal text contains all the mandatory information specified in the TMG. Other generators create a sample imprint for you. You can adjust this later for you and your specific situation.
Imprint generator: These are the 11 providers in comparison
Do you need an imprint generator? Numerous providers can create a legally secure imprint for you with just a few clicks, both for a fee and free of charge. The offer ranges from renowned law firms with a focus on IT law to the imprint generator for shop software such as Shopware, which is kept simple and approved by the Händlerbund.
The following applies to all providers:
- An imprint can be created online in just a few minutes without any prior legal knowledge
- A legally secure and legally compliant text will be created for your website, taking into account the mandatory information
- If you are taking part in a dispute settlement procedure before a consumer arbitration board, you can also have these generated
- The imprint generators are suitable for legal entities as well as private individuals, sole proprietors, and associations
For some providers:
- The provider may want your email address in return; the latter reserves the right to send you further offers via the double opt-in procedure
- Some providers insist on citing the source in the form of a link to their online imprint generator, which should be embedded in your imprint
- For a surcharge, many free versions can be expanded with additional modules; they include, for example, automatic notifications of changes in the legal situation or individual support from the respective provider
- With some providers, you can have a data protection declaration created for your website in addition to an imprint
IT law firm in Munich
The imprint generator of the IT law firm from Munich easily creates a free, legally secure imprint for your website. After selecting the appropriate legal form from the drop-down menu, you then answer questions relating to the mandatory information already mentioned. You can copy the finished legal text directly from the page and then integrate it into your website.
For more legal security, the IT law firm offers four additional protection packages in the form of a subscription. What they all have in common is, for example, the automatic updating of legal texts and legal liability in the event of warnings.
Attorney Plutte
When generating the imprint text, you are guided through the individual input fields on the Plutte law firm’s website in a way that is easy to understand. Another advantage: the provider offers you a free initial assessment by phone or email. This service can clarify initial questions about warnings, media or competition law, or about registering a trademark.
The law firm team also refers to the automated tool Avalex. From 9.90 euros per month, it is a worthwhile investment in terms of time and security, especially for shop operators. It can be installed on common CMS via a plug-in. Thanks to automation, all legal texts are up to date, and the registered domains are scanned weekly. This saves you from having to search for changes in the legal situation on your own.
Datenschutzexperte.de
Datenschutzexperte.de provides comprehensive information on the subject of imprint and data protection. Step by step you will also be guided here to your appropriate imprint text. After the free creation, the text can be copied directly from the website in text format or as HTML code without specifying or verifying an e-mail address.
The link to the imprint generator is automatically created as a source on which the provider insists.
The eRecht24 imprint generator
eRecht24 lawyer Sören Siebert enjoys great popularity on social media by making otherwise difficult legal topics understandable. The trust in his expertise can also be seen in the increased use of his free imprint generator.
The generator can be filled with sample data or directly with your own information, which can be modified later. Plus point: eRecht24 has a chronologically arranged update protocol. Versions and changes in the legal situation can be viewed by the user for self-checking. So if you keep an eye on the changes, you can ensure that your imprint is up to date yourself and do without automatic updates that are subject to a fee.
easyLegally secure
easyRechtssicher restricts its imprint generator to a clear input mask. All input steps are clearly explained on one page, even for inexperienced users.
To prove the authorship of the images used on the website within the meaning of the Interstate Broadcasting Treaty, they must be listed in the imprint in the form of image credits. With this generator, you can simply enter photo credits for content protected by copyright, one below the other, naming the image and the author in the field.
Optionally, an individual text can be inserted in the custom text field, which will later be integrated into the finished imprint. After entering your e-mail address, the complete text will be sent to you in text form only.
Shopify imprint generator
A tool that is not only available for Shopify users but which withholds a lot of information from the user on the subject of imprint and data protection. Only in the footer do you become aware of further materials. Nevertheless, the imprint generator from Shopify, which has been approved by the Händlerbund, is reliable for shop operators.
But: the finished text is only available as a link after storing an e-mail address. Also labeled with the Shopify logo.
Imprint and law
Lawyer Sebastian Einbock provides detailed information about the Telemedia Act on his website Imprint and Law and gives recommendations for the correct placement of your imprint on the website. You can also view numerous collected legal judgments on the subject of imprint requirements.
Your imprint with your individual information is created in just five minutes. A run-through with sample data for the purpose of subsequent processing is not possible with this generator. In the last step, the terms of use expressly refer to the obligation of the user. Since this is an automated formulation aid, the provider assumes no liability for the correctness, completeness, and topicality of the text template provided. The finished text can only be downloaded after entering the e-mail address. Here, too, the website operator would like to have embedded a source reference.
Hensche Lawyers
The Hensche law firm, which specializes in employment law, makes it particularly easy for the user to create the imprint. Here, too, you can use your own data as well as sample data that can be edited later, even in alternation. When creating your personalized imprint, you can switch back and forth between the two types of processing without losing any data.
AdSimple imprint generator and data protection generator for Germany
The IT service provider Adsimple generates a data protection declaration in addition to the imprint. After selecting the legal form, optional information on the imprint can be provided in addition to the mandatory information. You can also provide sample information for the time being for subsequent processing.
The free right to use the imprint only applies under the following condition: the generated text must contain the source and the link to Adsimple and may not be removed.
Datenschutzgenerator.de
The data protection expert and lawyer Dr. Schwenke’s free data protection and imprint generator can be used for the DACH region. The premium version also includes the creation of English-language imprints. In the free version for private individuals, companies, or authorities, the provider only asks for a mandatory notice with a link to the generator.
For EUR 19.90 per year, business customers benefit from regular updates of the legal texts and can provide their website with a seal that appears reputable to the customer. The mandatory reference to the generator is therefore omitted. That creates trust, even in the major press portals, Dr. Schwenke’s imprint for use.
impressum-generator.de
You can enter both sample data and your own data in this simple tool on impressum-generator.de . In contrast to many other imprint generators presented, you do this without further explanations of the individual points in the creation process.
What must not be removed: the linked reference to the source. You do not have to give out your e-mail address here either.