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Taking action against right-wing symbolism with trade mark law

The "Laut gegen Rechts" association was able to secure the trademark rights to the word mark "enness". The term "enness" (phonetic spelling for "NS") is an identifying mark among Nazis that is often printed on items of clothing in order to recognise each other in the Nazi scene. The Nazi scene also finances itself through the sale of such items of clothing. By protecting this trademark, the sale of such items of clothing can be effectively prevented. In 2023, the association was already able to secure the trademarks "VTR LND" (abbreviation for "Vaterland") and "AWB" (abbreviation for "Afrikanische Widerstandsbewegung" (an extreme right-wing movement in South Africa)) for the same reason. By registering these trademarks, the "Laut gegen Rechts" association can now take effective action against mail-order companies in the Nazi scene. If the mail-order companies refuse to take the products off the market, they can be punished with a fine or imprisonment in accordance with Section 143 MarkenG.

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