Copyright warning letter (filesharing)
Abmahnung wegen Urheberrechtsverletzung / Filesharing · sent by A law firm acting for a rights holder (e.g. Frommer Legal, .rka)
Act now — this one has real deadlines
What this letter is
A cease-and-desist letter from a law firm claiming your internet connection was used to share a copyrighted film, series, song or game over a torrent / peer-to-peer network. It bundles a demand to sign a cease-and-desist declaration (Unterlassungserklärung) with a payment demand for damages and legal fees — often several hundred to over €1,000. In Germany these are real and legally serious, but the demanded sum and the pre-written declaration are almost always overreaching.
What to do
- Don't ignore it, don't panic-pay, and don't sign the enclosed form as-is. The deadline (typically ~1–2 weeks) is real, but both the amount and the wording are negotiable.
- Never sign the enclosed Unterlassungserklärung unchanged — it is deliberately broad and locks you into large penalties for any future breach. A lawyer or the Verbraucherzentrale supplies a "modified" version (modifizierte Unterlassungserklärung) that stops the warning without the overreach.
- Get advice before the deadline. The Verbraucherzentrale offers cheap fixed-price checks for exactly these letters; for higher sums a specialist lawyer (Fachanwalt für Urheberrecht) is worth it.
- Say nothing about who actually downloaded. As the account holder you are presumed liable unless others are named or ruled out — but anything you admit in writing can't be walked back. Let an advisor frame any reply.
- Confirm it's genuine, not a scam. Real Abmahnungen arrive by post from a named firm with a case reference. Emails demanding instant crypto or voucher payment are fraud — verify the firm independently.
General information, not legal advice. Always verify payment details on the sender's official website before transferring money.