{"id":35781,"date":"2026-08-26T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpw.law\/?p=35781"},"modified":"2026-08-22T19:50:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T17:50:59","slug":"imports-from-third-countries-as-infringement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/imports-from-third-countries-as-infringement\/","title":{"rendered":"Imports from Third Countries as Infringement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull v4-pattern-hero v4-pattern-hero--post is-style-background-blend is-style-arrow has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull v4-pattern-hero__cover\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);min-height:75vh;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img data-dominant-color=\"608845\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #608845;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-35779 size-large not-transparent\" alt=\"Einfuhr aus Drittstaaten als Markenverletzung, China, Markenpiraterie, BMW, Markenrecht, Rechtsanwalt \" src=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Einfuhr-aus-Drittstaaten-als-Markenverletzung-1024x576.avif\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Einfuhr-aus-Drittstaaten-als-Markenverletzung-1024x576.avif 1024w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Einfuhr-aus-Drittstaaten-als-Markenverletzung-300x169.avif 300w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Einfuhr-aus-Drittstaaten-als-Markenverletzung-768x432.avif 768w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Einfuhr-aus-Drittstaaten-als-Markenverletzung-1536x864.avif 1536w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/Einfuhr-aus-Drittstaaten-als-Markenverletzung-2048x1152.avif 2048w\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-base-background-color has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:5em\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-97ba1214 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a6a2a725 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\r\n<h1 id=\"multirow-headline-block_b7a7985c3b9a57e85d9e351098e9d4ca\" class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\r\n    <div class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\n\n<p class=\"has-gigantic-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">Imports from<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:15%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">third countries as<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color has-huge-font-size wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\"><span class=\"v4-marker-highlight-background\">infringement<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div> \r\n<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-small-font-size is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-878d3859 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:italic;font-weight:300;text-transform:uppercase\"><div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:300;text-transform:uppercase\" class=\"wp-block-post-date has-small-font-size\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-26T08:30:00+02:00\">26. August 2026<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">of<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:600\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\">Clemens Pfitzer<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3b99a472 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is it sufficient to claim that a purchase was made for personal use in order to avoid trademark infringement when importing from third countries? And how can trademark owners prove that an alleged personal buyer was, in fact, acting for commercial purposes?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-80-nabendeckel-aus-china\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">80 hub caps from China<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A retiree ordered 80 hub caps featuring the BMW logo online from a supplier in China\u2014divided into 20 sets of 4 each\u2014for a total of 170.80 euros. The goods were shipped from China to the Federal Republic of Germany, where they were intercepted by customs and photographed. With the customer\u2019s consent, the emblems were later destroyed.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BMW, as the owner of the BMW trademark, sent a cease and desist letter to the customer alleging trademark infringement. BMW believes that the quantity alone proves that the hub caps were not intended for personal use. Furthermore, a set of original hub caps is significantly more expensive than 2.14 euros per piece.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This case is one of a growing number of legal proceedings involving <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/topics\/product-and-brand-piracy\/\">product and trademark piracy<\/a>, in which counterfeit goods are imported in small shipments from third countries.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A retiree, 24 wheel rims, and a charge of trademark piracy<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The retiree countered that he was a consumer and owned a total of 24 rims for his own vehicles for personal use. Since the hub caps were only available in sets of 4, he had decided to purchase 20 sets. This allowed him to benefit from a volume discount and free shipping. He claimed it had not been apparent to him that the products were counterfeits from China, especially since authorized BMW dealers also offered hub caps at comparably low prices. Furthermore, he had not acted in the course of business and had not arranged for the import, because the purchase agreement on eBay had already been canceled prior to shipment.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BMW filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against the use of the BMW logo on emblems and stickers, a declaration of liability for damages, information regarding the sales, profits, origin, and distribution channels of the goods, and reimbursement of the costs of the cease-and-desist notice.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Frankenthal Regional Court found the defendant fully liable<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its judgment dated August 5, 2026, Case No. 6 O 19\/26, the Frankenthal Regional Court fully granted the claim and found the retiree liable.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why doesn&#8217;t a private order automatically protect against liability?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At its core, the dispute revolved around a single question: Did the defendant act \u201cin the course of business\u201d\u2014that is, as part of an economic activity\u2014or was it in fact a purely private matter? Only commercial activity constitutes an infringement of <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/rechtsgebiet\/markenrecht\/\" data-type=\"rechtsgebiet\" data-id=\"209\">trademark rights<\/a>; purely private use remains permitted. The court clarified that private imports remain permissible in principle, as long as they consist of genuine personal souvenirs.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group v4-pattern-general-quote-box has-kpw-turquoise-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just as with private sales, the private importation of goods that would be prohibited from being sold within Germany or the EU is generally permitted. However, this applies only to private \u201csouvenirs\u201d: A \u201cluxury handbag\u201d purchased for personal use on a vacation beach is permitted; the importation of infringing goods by third parties, on the other hand, remains prohibited, even if it is based on a private order.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words: The \u201cvacation souvenir\u201d case is the exception, not the rule. Since its \u201cshell.de\u201d ruling in 2002, the Federal Court of Justice has determined whether someone was acting in a business or private capacity based on what is apparent to an outside observer. Key factors include, above all, the type and quantity of the imported goods, as well as the person importing them. The court already considered these to be sufficient objective criteria in this case. The 80 hub caps ordered far exceeded what is customary in private transactions. In addition, the defendant, a retiree, had also intended to use the emblems on his wife\u2019s and sons\u2019 rims and, while clearing out his garage, had planned to resell the rims along with the hub caps. According to the court, even such a transfer without the intent to make a profit is sufficient to constitute a transaction in the course of business.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who has to prove exhaustion?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The allocation of the burden of presentation and proof is of practical significance for trademark owners. If the trademark owner has not placed the goods on the market in the European Economic Area themselves, trademark exhaustion does not apply. The judges point out that it is up to the defendant to substantiate a claim of exhaustion if the defendant wishes to rely on it. Merely disputing that the goods are counterfeit is not sufficient. Thus, the trademark owner is not required to prove on its own initiative that exhaustion has not occurred once it is established that the goods were directly imported from a third country.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our previous article on <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/turkey-imports-without-brand-exhaustion\/\">parallel imports from third countries<\/a> had already shown that trademark owners can take action against imports from countries outside the European Economic Area without having to worry about the exhaustion of their rights.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What role does customs seizure play?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The case also illustrates the interplay between civil enforcement and <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/services\/customs-seizure-against-product-brand-piracy\/\">customs seizure<\/a>. The emblems were seized by customs, photographed, and destroyed with the defendant\u2019s consent even before the lawsuit was filed. According to the case law of the European Court of Justice cited by the court, private recipients must also accept the destruction of goods in border seizure proceedings if they originate from a commercial sender in a third country, even if the recipient is not acting in the course of business. The customs seizure thus applies regardless of whether the recipient is later held liable under civil law.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-konsequente-anwendung-der-shell-de-formel\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Consistent Application of the shell.de Formula<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This decision is not really new. It applies the principles of the Federal Court of Justice\u2014which have been well-established for years\u2014to a very common scenario in <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/fields-of-law\/trademark-law\/\">trademark law<\/a>: placing an order via the Internet with a supplier from a third country, ostensibly for personal use, but in a quantity that exceeds what is recognizable as personal need. For trademark owners, the ruling is nevertheless of practical value: It shows that the apparent quantity alone can suffice as evidence, without the need to prove an intent to make a profit or resell the goods in each individual case.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"h-fazit\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns v4-pattern-text-copy-half-col is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ruling makes it clear that purchasers cannot avoid liability simply by claiming, \u201cIt was just for personal use.\u201d As soon as it becomes apparent that the quantity or intended use exceeds personal needs, the protection afforded to genuine souvenirs no longer applies. For trademark owners, the decision thus confirms a viable line of argument against direct imports from third countries without the need to prove, in detail, an intent to resell for commercial purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the ruling leaves open the question of where, in individual cases, the line is drawn between a truly personal gift and a business transaction when the quantity ordered is only slightly more than what would be considered a reasonable personal need.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80)\">\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide v4-pattern-cta-box has-secondary-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0c8cea62 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top v4-pattern-cta-box__columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-71c143ff wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-fb77afb0 wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:0;flex-basis:60%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-right is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1931a79c wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\r\n<div id=\"multirow-headline-block_a9afa6ecd84ccd1f9bd47e7270ec6319\" class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline alignwide\">\r\n    <div class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">We\u2019d be happy to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:8%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:0.9;text-transform:uppercase\">you on<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:0.9;text-transform:uppercase\">Trademark law!<\/p>\n\n<\/div> \r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-9da75b5c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-visual4-contact-modal__button\">\r\n            \r\n        <div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\r\n            \r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-button v4-contact-modal-button is-style-fill\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" data-form-id=\"8\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-contrast-color has-base-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\">Contact Form<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        \r\n    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class=\"wp-image-23155\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Frankenthal Regional Court ruled that imports from third countries can cause an infringement of trademark rights even if they result from a private order, if the quantity and purpose indicate otherwise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4904],"tags":[6583,6587,5269,6585,6255,3758,6582,6586,5042],"thema":[],"rechtsgebiet":[4898],"produkt":[4922],"class_list":["post-35781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-bmw","tag-business-correspondence","tag-china-en","tag-customs-seizure","tag-import","tag-import-of-goods","tag-private-purchase","tag-trademark-en","rechtsgebiet-markenrecht-en","produkt-product-brand-piracy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Counterfeit BMWs: Imports from Third Countries Constitute Trademark Infringement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" 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