Od: Patrick.Hartweg@wknoe.at
Odesláno: 3. kvìtna 2005 15:51
Komu: office@alpisport.cz
Pøedmìt: WG: your letter regarding Construct Data

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Hartweg Patrick,Mag.,WKNÖ,Aussenwirtschaft 
Gesendet: Dienstag, 3. Mai 2005 15:50
Cc: Burger-Scheidlin Maximilian, Dr, WKÖ ICC; Lochschmidt Ingomar, Dr, WKÖ AWO; Klopsch Rudolf,Mag.,WKNÖ,Information und Consulting - Sparte; Prag AHST; Werberat
Betreff: your letter regarding Construct Data


Antwort auf das Schreiben der Fa. Alpi Sport Cenrtum, s.r.o., 9. kvetna 1134, 742 58 Pribor, Cz:


Dear Ms. Dagmar Smeidlerová,
 
We refer to your letter regarding the Austrian company Construct Data Verlag AG.

According to Austrian law (§ 28a UWG - Unfair Competition Act), direct mailings of this kind might not be permitted when done within Austria. In such cases injunctive reliefs as well as claims for damages might be brought against the company.

The Austrian Unfair Competition Act, however, can only be applied when the unfair competitive behaviour has a direct effect on the Austrian market (§ 48 Para. 2 IPRG - International Private Law Act). When such advertising campaigns are implemented outside Austria, the Austrian Unfair Competition Act does not apply.

The second question often posed is: Do we really have to pay if we signed that "contract"?

If a contract is not fulfilled by one party, the other party is free to sue at the competent court. Should both parties have agreee to a court of jurisdiction in Austria, such a case may be brought to the competent Austrian court - also under foreign law, if applicable.

The activities of the company in question may therefore be judged only according to the laws of the country whose market they affect, and legal proceedings taken according to the substantive laws of that country - in your case the Czech Republic. 

It might be of interest to you that no cases where Construct Data successfully sued for payment have come to our knowledge yet - except one single case, though without meritory considerations by the judge. In one case a German court of appelation denied such a compensation explicitly as unfounded (English translation of the sentence, privately documented on http://www.ergo-film.de/6-Online/6g-Recht%20und%20Gerechtigkeit/Urteile%20Formulare/Urteile%20Prozess%20gewonnen/LG%20Chemnitz-engl-6%20s%20613_04.pdf).

Here are some further links of interest:

http://www.stopecg.org/other.htm#fair
http://www.werberat.or.at/ (http://www.werberat.at/download/euroadalert.pdf)
http://www.britishembassy.at/ (under Heading "Trade and Investment", subheading "Warnings and Scams")

A court sentence from Italy: http://www.agcm.it/agcm_ita/DSAP/DSAP_PI.NSF/6334640d6447abfec1256e6e002499b7/93723d7d03f1d5c8c1256bdb002eb533?OpenDocument#_Section5

An interesting court sentence from Germany:  http://www.ergo-film.de/6-Online/6g-Recht%20und%20Gerechtigkeit/Urteile%20Formulare/Urteile%20Prozess%20gewonnen/LG_chemnitz-constr-data-04.htm

Private English translation of that sentence
http://www.ergo-film.de/6-Online/6g-Recht%20und%20Gerechtigkeit/Urteile%20Formulare/Urteile%20Prozess%20gewonnen/LG%20Chemnitz-engl-6%20s%20613_04.pdf) 
 

We regret any inconvenience and hope that we have been of assistance.

Mag. Patrick Hartweg
Wirtschaftskammer Niederösterreich
Abteilung für Außenwirtschaft und Verkehrspolitik
A-1014 Wien, Herreng. 10
T  +43/1/534-66-1286   I   F  +43/1/534-66-1573
E  patrick.hartweg@wknoe.at   I  W  http://wko.at/noe/aw