German judicial system: A D@B hand at contradiction

Following a legal challenge by a company named D@B to a county court decision last autumn, the district court has upheld a verdict disallowing companies in Bavaria from being a registered with the 'at' sign in the title.

The judges justified their decision by saying that the special character does not conform to the name function as set out in the code of commercial law. As a pictorial character, it has no spoken function. Although listed under the letter A in the definitive German dictionary, @ does not feature in recognised words.

The ruling highlights a growing grey area of legislation, which struggles to keep up with advances in technology. The parent company of Hildensheim-based Met@box, for instance, registered the name in the provincial high court in 1998 with no opposition. A subsidiary in Braunschweig, however, was not permitted due to the inclusion of the character.

D@B has lodged an appeal with the Bavarian supreme district court and must await its decision before considering a branding overhaul.