What Is An Impressum & Why You Need One 4

Ever wondered what an Impressum is? It’s like a friendly introduction to your website, where you share who you are and how people can reach you. But it’s not just about being friendly – in some places, it’s a legal must-have document.

In this article, we’ll explain why having an Impressum is a good idea. It’s a simple way to build trust, follow the rules, and improve your corner of the internet.

Let’s uncover the secrets and see why it’s crucial for a great online presence.

What is an Impressum Definition

In German-speaking countries, the term Impressum refers to a legal statement of ownership or authorship that must appear on a website, newspaper, magazine, or book. The word comes from Latin and means to engrave or imprint.

The Impressum definition is a summary of the website’s ownership and copyright details. It is a mandatory document required by German laws.

Differences Between Impressum and Privacy Policies

This section will discuss the differences between Impressum and Privacy Policy documents.

Impressum	Privacy Policy
Impressum provides detailed information about the business.	A privacy policy talks about the usage of cookies on the website.
It Contains information such as address, email ID, and contact information about the business.	Privacy policy talks about why website uses cookies, how information is collected, and how the data is processed.
Impressum’s targeted audience is regulatory authorities and, in some cases, users who want to know more about the organizations.	A privacy policy is targeted to website users.
Non-compliance with Impressum can result in heavy fines in court.	Non-compliance with privacy policy can sometimes result in heavy fines, written notice, and, in some cases, regulatory actions.

Is It Mandatory to Have An Impressum?

You may already be aware that it is mandatory for commercial websites in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to have a legal disclosure known as Impressum. However, websites that are not commercial or are not monetized by their owners are exempt from this law.

In addition to websites, newspapers, magazines, and flyers are also subject to the rules of Impressum. It is important to note that even if you do not have a physical presence in Germany but operate a website for German citizens, you must comply with these laws.

Publishing an Impressum indicates that you are taking full responsibility for the content posted on your website. This gives your visitors the impression that the information you provide is accurate and trustworthy. As a result, you can improve your goodwill and transparency in the eyes of your existing or potential customers.

Additionally, publishing an Impressum gives your audience the right to take legal action against you in case they find anything offensive or inappropriate on your website that goes against their values or sentiments.

How to Comply With Impressum Requirements

Following are some of the general requirements for complying with Impressum

• Provide detailed information on the document, such as email ID and phone number where customers can reach you.
• You should include the registration number and the local court where your business is registered.
• Include your VAT registration number if you are registered for VAT.
• If you collect customers’ personal information, ensure you have a privacy policy.
• If your website collects cookies, inform users through a cookies consent banner to accept or reject these cookies on the website.
• The Impressum document should be easily accessible on the website.
• If you have customers worldwide, you must ensure that the Impressum is available in different languages.
• If you make any Impressum changes, you should update them regularly.

Ensuring all the above points will make sure that you are complying with the rules and regulations and won’t be subject to written warnings.

What are the legal consequences of failing to comply with Impressum regulations?

Impressum infringements can lead to financial sanctions and website interruptions, especially those owned by people in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland since all the above-mentioned sites must meet such statutory requirements. 

Noncompliance attracts “Abmahnung,” which refers to a quasi-judicial system of delivering notice. Frequent complainants include competitors, consumer protection offices, and even regulatory bodies that claim compliance should be immediate. 

They can also demand attorney costs. Noncompliance with such rules invites hefty penalties, usually between €1,000 and €50,000, depending on the level of the contravention.

In some instances, an aggrieved person has a remedy through the court with the potential for increased fines and temporary closure of the website until legal compliance is met. 

The absence of an Impressum further narrows the credibility and integrity a company portrays to its customers, feeding a seed of doubt in the minds of most potential buyers concerning whether the business exists and is operating. 

It attracts penalties from search engines as non-transparency in brand names will be relevant in some areas, damaging sales and profits.

Besides, the absence of a proper Impressum initiates problems with GDPR compliance due to a lack of transparency regarding ownership and data processing. This might leave room for probing by competent authorities, further penalties, and legal repercussions. 

Thus, companies should place their Impressum in areas easily accessible to website visitors, such as the footer or an independent legal page.

It should include the required information, such as the company name, address, contact address, and, of course, business registration information. Such negligence might result in heavy monetary sanctions in time costs.

Things to Include in An Impressum

A common question people ask about Impressum is what to include. Typically, it carries a brief profile of the owners on the website in a legal document known as Impressum.

The Telemedia Act mandates commercial German websites to disclose publisher information, including contact details and other necessary information, depending on the type of company.

 Here are the details that must be included in the Impressum – 

• Name and address of the website owner  
• Contact details of the website owner, including the telephone number, fax number, and email address 
• Registration and license number (if any) and the VAT details 
• Name of the individual legal representative (usually the site manager)
• In case any activity needs authorization, details of the supervising authority must be included.   

How to Create an Impressum on Your Website

There are two different ways to generate Impressum on your WordPress website: manually or through a WordPress plugin. Creating an Impressum page manually is a little time-consuming.

This is where the WP Legal Pages plugin comes in.

If you’re looking for a simple way to generate legal pages for your WordPress website, WP Legal Pages is the perfect plugin for you. It’s user-friendly and makes creating legal pages such as Impressum, Privacy Policy, and Terms and conditions, cookie policy and more a simple process.

This plugin is especially helpful for website owners, bloggers, and businesses who want to ensure legal compliance without any hassle. The free version of WP Legal Pages includes the following legal pages, which you can easily download from the WordPress.org website.

• Privacy Policy Generator
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Privacy Notice
• Term of use General Generator
• DMCA Policy Generator

Benefits of Using WP Legal Pages

• Ease of Use: Creating compliant legal pages is made easy with WP Legal Pages, thanks to its user-friendly templates and straightforward interface.
• Customization: The plugin offers easy-to-use customization options that allow you to tailor your Impressum to your specific needs.
• Legal Compliance: By adhering to various legal regulations, WP Legal Pages ensures legal compliance, saving you from potential legal troubles.

Step-by-Step Guide for Adding Impressum to Website

Following are the steps to create an impressum for your website.

Step 1: Installing the WP Legal Pages Plugin

Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard and click on Plugins > Add New. 

Search for WPLegalPages in the search bar 

Then click on the Install Now button. 

Once installed, activate the WP Legal Pages plugin by clicking the Activate button.

Step 2: Configuring WP Legal Pages Plugin

After activating the plugin, you can access it directly from the Dashboard.

Go to your Dashboard, click WPLegalPages, and click Accept to generate the necessary legal pages.

Step 3: Creating Account in WP Legal Pages

Select Create Legal Page from the WP Legal Pages menu.

The free version provides access to four templates. Select the Impressum option and click on Create .

Once you click Create, a new window will pop up, asking you to set up a new account. If you don’t have one, Click “New? Create a free account,” or choose “Connect your existing account” if you’re already a user.

After Signing Up, your account will be connected to your website, allowing you to start creating legal pages for your site.

Creating your account has been finished, and you can now start drafting the Legal Pages for your website.

Step 4: Creating an Impressum for Your Website

You will be redirected to the page to set Recommended Settings upon successfully signing up.

Next, fill out the required details in Data Sections and click next.

Now, you can verify the data section on the Policy Preview Template, click Create and Edit.

Here in you will be able to make customized changes on the Impressum page and Publish.

Following the above steps you will be easily able to create and publish an Impressum page on your website.

Where Should The Impressum be Placed?

You now have an understanding of what an Impressum is, but you may be wondering where it should be placed on a website.

There is no specific rule regarding the placement of an Impressum, but there are some important things to keep in mind when adding one. It should be easy to find and not create any confusion.

The following are commonly followed guidelines:

• The impression should be immediately noticeable after entering the site 
• It must be easily accessible for the visitors 
• It should be available for everyone    

In view of the above-mentioned rules, it is advisable to make a separate page for this. Otherwise, it may get merged with the other contents of a webpage. In that case, it will not be immediately noticeable.

You may also put the information in the owner section of your site, where you list your privacy policy and other legal disclosures. But, in that case, you must add a link to it as Impressum and place it in a remarkable position. 

Impressum Examples

Here are some examples from popular websites to help you understand what an Impressum should look like.

1. YouTube 

YouTube is an international brand and business that also has a huge German base. Here’s a sample of YouTube Germany’s Impressum:

2. Siemens

3. Amazon 

One of the largest retailers in the world, Amazon includes the Impressum on its German-language website Amazon.de.

4. Zoho

Zoho is an email hosting company that offers email disclaimers, explaining that some content, such as private information, is intended only for a certain audience.

5. Tumblr

From Tumblr’s terms of service: this standard disclaimer in simple language assists you in avoiding liability for any mistakes, errors, or omissions that occur. This safeguards users against suing your company because of a small error.

FAQ

Conclusion

By now, you must have gotten a fair idea of what Impressum means and why you need one. You have also learned about how to create an Impressum using a WordPress Plugin- WP Legal Pages.

Don’t wait any longer to enhance your website’s credibility and trustworthiness. Act now and enjoy peace of mind knowing that you are legally covered.

If you’ve liked reading this article, don’t forget to check our other engaging content:

• Top Cookie Consent Plugins for WordPress
• How To Add Copyright Text To A Website
• Simplified Guide To Set Up Cookie Banners For eCommerce

Grab WP Legal Pages plugin to create the legal pages you need for your business.