Dr. Alexander Thamer and Dr. Julian Wernicke on moral rights in election campaign events

“No concert of wishes in election campaigns: moral rights in a political context” – essay by Dr. Alexander Thamer and Dr. Julian Wernicke in issue 4/2025 of ZUM

In the 04/2025 issue of the “Zeitschrift für Urheber- und Medienrecht” (Journal of Copyright and Media Law), ZUM for short, the BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT attorneys at law Dr. Alexander Thamer and Dr. Julian Wernicke deal with the use of popular music in political election campaigns – a tool that is often used due to its emotionalizing effect.
Most recently, for example, the Junge Union played “Zeit, dass sich was dreht” by Herbert Grönemeyer at the arrival of CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, which was reported on by LTO and others.

In recent years, musicians have increasingly invoked moral rights in order to enforce a court ban against certain uses in the political arena. Of particular interest here is the tension between this moral right and existing rights of use granted via collecting societies. The article classifies the case law to date and shows the limits of party-political music use.

Subscribers to beck online can access the article in German by Dr. Alexander Thamer and Dr. Julian Wernicke online here.