--- title: "UWG Section 7 (Germany): What It Means for Cold Email" description: "Is B2B cold email legal in Germany? UWG section 7 requires prior consent, even for work addresses. Exceptions, warning letters, court penalties and BGH cases." path: /cold-email-laws/uwg family: laws updated: 2026-10-17 html: /cold-email-laws/uwg sources: - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__7.html" - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_uwg/englisch_uwg.html" - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__8.html" - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__13.html" - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__13a.html" - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__20.html" - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/zpo/__890.html" - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__823.html" - "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__1004.html" - "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj" - "https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/VI_ZS/2017/VI_ZR_225-17.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1" - "https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/VI_ZS/2015/VI_ZR_721-15.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1" - "https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/I_ZS/2007/I_ZR_218-07.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1" - "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.en.html" - "/anti-spam" - "/terms" - "/features" facts: law: "Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb (Act against Unfair Competition) (UWG section 7(2) No. 2)" jurisdiction: "Germany" in_force: "2004" regulator: "None for email; enforced in the civil courts" b2b_cold_email: "Not allowed without prior consent" max_penalty: "EUR 250,000 per injunction breach; GDPR fines up to EUR 20 million or 4%" --- # UWG Section 7 (Germany): What It Means for Cold Email No, not without consent. Germany's UWG section 7(2) No. 2 requires prior express consent for advertising email to businesses and consumers alike, with one exception for existing customers. Competitors and recipients enforce it in court, and breaking an injunction can cost up to EUR 250,000 per breach. ## Not Legal Advice > Not legal advice. We checked this page against the law's text and the regulator's guidance on October 17, 2026; it has not been reviewed by a lawyer. ## Can You Send B2B Cold Email Under the UWG? **In short:** No: advertising email needs the recipient's prior express consent, for businesses exactly as for consumers, unless all four conditions of the existing-customer rule hold. Section 7(2) No. 2 UWG treats any advertising by email without the addressee's prior express consent as an unacceptable nuisance. The phone rule in No. 1 lets you call another business on presumed consent, but the email rule has no business exception, so a work address at a German company needs consent just like a private one. The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has held that even one unsolicited advertising email can unlawfully interfere with the recipient's business (I ZR 218/07, 2009). It also reads advertising broadly: a customer satisfaction survey sent with an invoice counts (VI ZR 225/17, 2018). The only exception is for existing customers (section 7(3)), and all four of its conditions must hold. The GDPR applies on top, so you also need a lawful basis and a notice for the personal data in the email. ## What Do You Need to Do Under the UWG? **In short:** 7 rules apply to a cold email program under the UWG. **UWG requirements for cold email, checked October 17, 2026** | Requirement | What it means | How to do it | Section | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Prior express consent from every recipient | Advertising email without prior express consent is always an unacceptable nuisance, B2B included. | Do not cold email recipients in Germany without documented consent. | UWG s.7(2) No. 2 | | Specific consent | Consent counts only if the person knew they were consenting and it was clear which products or services of which companies it covers. | No buried or blanket partner consents. Name the sender and the kind of offer. | BGH VI ZR 721/15 | | Existing-customer exception, all four conditions | You got the address from the customer in connection with a sale, you advertise your own similar products, the customer has not objected, and you told them at collection and in every email that they can object at any time at no more than basic transmission costs. | Use it only for real customers, and put the objection notice in every email. | UWG s.7(3) Nos. 1 to 4 | | Sender identity not hidden | Advertising where the sender's identity is disguised or concealed is always a nuisance. | Use a clear sender name and company. | UWG s.7(2) No. 3(a) | | Valid opt-out address | There must be a valid address for stop requests that costs no more than basic transmission rates. | Include a working unsubscribe or reply address in every email. | UWG s.7(2) No. 3(c) | | Advertising is read broadly | A customer satisfaction survey in an email counts as advertising, even when the email delivers an invoice. | Treat follow-ups, surveys and check-ins as advertising. | BGH VI ZR 225/17 | | GDPR still applies | The name and work address in the email are personal data under the GDPR. | Have a lawful basis, give a privacy notice and honor objections. | GDPR Art. 6, 14 and 21 | ## What Are the Penalties Under the UWG? **In short:** Maximum penalty: EUR 250,000 per injunction breach; GDPR fines up to EUR 20 million or 4%. **UWG maximum penalties, checked October 17, 2026** | Penalty | Maximum | In USD | Section | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Court penalty for breaking an injunction (Ordnungsgeld), per breach | EUR 250,000 or detention of up to 6 months | about USD 281,300 | [ZPO s.890(1)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/zpo/__890.html) | | Contract penalty in a cease-and-desist declaration, for minor breaches by firms with fewer than 100 staff | EUR 1,000 cap; otherwise set by the factors in s.13a(1) | about USD 1,130 | [UWG s.13a(3)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__13a.html) | | GDPR fine for the personal data in the email | EUR 20,000,000 or, for a company, 4% of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher | about USD 22.5 million | [GDPR Art. 83(5)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj) | | UWG administrative fine (advertising calls to consumers only, not email) | EUR 300,000 | about USD 337,600 | [UWG s.20(1) and 20(2)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__20.html) | USD amounts are approximate, converted at the European Central Bank reference rates of 2026-10-16. No public regulator enforces the email rule. Competitors, qualified business and consumer associations and chambers can claim an injunction (s.8(3)), usually starting with a warning letter (Abmahnung) that asks for a cease-and-desist declaration backed by a contract penalty (s.13). Recipients who are not competitors sue for an injunction under BGB sections 823 and 1004. Data protection authorities can fine under the GDPR. ## What Enforcement Has There Been Under the UWG? **In short:** 3 cases from regulator and court records, newest first. Civil courts, not a regulator, enforce the email rule, and the BGH does not publish party names. These Federal Court of Justice (BGH) decisions show how the courts apply it. **UWG enforcement examples from regulator and court records** | Date | Company | What happened | Outcome | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2018-07-10 | Online seller (name withheld by the court) | Sent an invoice email that also asked the buyer to take a customer satisfaction survey, without consent. | Injunction, backed by up to EUR 250,000 per breach (BGH VI ZR 225/17) | [BGH, VI ZR 225/17](https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/VI_ZS/2017/VI_ZR_225-17.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1) | | 2017-03-14 | Publishing company (name withheld by the court) | Had partner firms send advertising emails to a commercial agent's business address, relying on consent given while downloading freeware. | Appeal judgment set aside; consent must be specific (BGH VI ZR 721/15) | [BGH, VI ZR 721/15](https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/VI_ZS/2015/VI_ZR_721-15.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1) | | 2009-05-20 | Investment newsletter sender, a GmbH (name withheld by the court) | Sent one unsolicited investor newsletter by email to a law firm. | Costs put on the sender because the injunction claim was well founded (BGH I ZR 218/07) | [BGH, I ZR 218/07](https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/I_ZS/2007/I_ZR_218-07.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1) | ## Cold Email Checklist for the UWG 1. Do not send cold email to recipients in Germany without documented prior consent. 2. Keep a record that proves who consented, to what and when. 3. Make consent specific: name your company and the kind of offer. 4. Email existing customers only about your own similar products, and only when all four section 7(3) conditions hold. 5. Put a clear sender identity and a free opt-out address in every email. 6. Treat follow-ups, surveys and check-ins as advertising. 7. Cover the GDPR too: lawful basis, privacy notice and the right to object. ## How Ken Helps **In short:** Ken Campaigns handles opt-outs, suppression and sending limits; it does not make your emails lawful, and the law stays your responsibility. - Campaign emails must include a legally appropriate opt-out or unsubscribe mechanism unless Ken approves another lawful approach in writing, and Ken can run the unsubscribe links, reply-based opt-outs and suppression for you (Ken Terms of Service, section 7.3). - Ken's anti-spam policy puts opt-outs, abuse complaints, spam-trap notices and hard bounces on a suppression list that applies across every domain and mailbox Ken operates, and never expires it. - Ken tracks every bounce, unsubscribe and spam report, and every campaign rotates across several inboxes to stay under daily send limits. - You give Ken your legal entity name and mailing address for the email footer, and Ken will not knowingly use materially false or misleading headers, sender details or subject lines (Terms, section 7.2). - Ken's anti-spam policy bars purchased and scraped lists, and accounts found sending unsolicited bulk email are suspended (section 6). - Ken's terms leave the legality of your offer, audience and data, and any consents and notices the law requires, with you (section 7.1). Under the UWG, that includes documented prior consent from every recipient in Germany. - [Join the waiting list](/waitlist) - [Read Ken's anti-spam policy](/anti-spam) ## FAQ ### Is B2B cold email legal in Germany? Not without prior express consent. UWG section 7(2) No. 2 covers every addressee, businesses included, and the only exception is the existing-customer rule in section 7(3). ### Can a single cold email get me sued? Yes. The BGH held that even one unsolicited advertising email can unlawfully interfere with the recipient's business (I ZR 218/07), and applied the same reasoning to an email sent to a business address (VI ZR 721/15). ### Who can take action against me? Competitors, qualified business and consumer associations and chambers can claim an injunction under section 8(3), usually starting with a warning letter (section 13). Recipients who are not competitors can sue for an injunction under BGB sections 823 and 1004. ### Are there fines for cold email in Germany? The UWG has no fine for email: its section 20 fines of up to EUR 300,000 cover advertising calls to consumers. A court can impose up to EUR 250,000 per breach of an injunction (ZPO section 890), and GDPR fines apply separately. ### Is a feedback or survey email advertising? Yes. The BGH held that a customer satisfaction survey in an email is advertising, even when it comes with an invoice (VI ZR 225/17). ## Related - [Cold email laws by country](/cold-email-laws): All 12 laws compared - [GDPR: What It Means for Cold Email](/cold-email-laws/gdpr): Legitimate interest; consent rule varies by country - [UK GDPR and PECR: What They Mean for Cold Email](/cold-email-laws/uk-gdpr-pecr): Allowed to companies, opt-out; sole traders need consent - [CASL (Canada): What It Means for Cold Email](/cold-email-laws/casl): Consent first; implied consent for published work addresses - [Ken anti-spam policy](/anti-spam) ## Sources | Source | URL | Checked | | --- | --- | --- | | UWG section 7 (German) | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__7.html | 2026-10-17 | | UWG, official English translation | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_uwg/englisch_uwg.html | 2026-10-17 | | UWG section 8 (injunction claims) | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__8.html | 2026-10-17 | | UWG section 13 (warning letters) | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__13.html | 2026-10-17 | | UWG section 13a (contract penalties) | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__13a.html | 2026-10-17 | | UWG section 20 (fines) | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/uwg_2004/__20.html | 2026-10-17 | | ZPO section 890 (penalties for breaching an injunction) | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/zpo/__890.html | 2026-10-17 | | BGB section 823 | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__823.html | 2026-10-17 | | BGB section 1004 | https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__1004.html | 2026-10-17 | | GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Article 83 | https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj | 2026-10-17 | | BGH, July 10, 2018, VI ZR 225/17 | https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/VI_ZS/2017/VI_ZR_225-17.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1 | 2026-10-17 | | BGH, March 14, 2017, VI ZR 721/15 | https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/VI_ZS/2015/VI_ZR_721-15.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1 | 2026-10-17 | | BGH, May 20, 2009, I ZR 218/07 | https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Entscheidungen/DE/Zivilsenate/I_ZS/2007/I_ZR_218-07.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1 | 2026-10-17 | | European Central Bank, euro foreign exchange reference rates (2026-10-16) | https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_and_exchange_rates/euro_reference_exchange_rates/html/index.en.html | 2026-10-17 | | Ken anti-spam policy (sections 4 and 6) | /anti-spam | 2026-10-17 | | Ken Terms of Service (sections 7.1 to 7.3) | /terms | 2026-10-17 | | Ken features: deliverability monitoring and multi-inbox rotation | /features | 2026-10-17 | ## Changelog - 2026-10-17: Page published.