Wikipedia attack - Mann's own healing with consequences

If there is a price for the "Own Goal of the Year" would be: would deserve it this year, nobody more than the Bundestag deputies Lutz Heilmann (Left Party). He has done it brought untold users of the Internet to raise against a PR disaster for his party and himself to cause that he attacked a donation revenue undreamt soon as possible and incidentally his own past as a Stasi into the bright light of Public stage.


Heilmann had as a lawyer with the first state learned that apparently, at the Regional Luebeck an injunction against the club Wikimedia eV obtained. According to this without hearing the defendant had to have adopted the automatic redirection from the website registered in Germany www.wikipedia.de to the (also in German in America, operated) real online encyclopedia at the address http://de.wikipedia.org blocked will. This address, however, was always accessible, so that the article on Heilmann also always on the weekend could be read. The background was that the English version of the free encyclopedia article about the MP Lutz Heilmann a stand, what his view is that his personality rights violations.

This occurs at Wikipedia, whose entries each registered user can change. Again and again it happens that malevolent people in the entries on more or less prominent people insults or false factual claims write. In normal cases, such rapidly undone, either by other users or those affected themselves in case Heilemann is also questionable whether the information monierten his injured right personality. Thorsten Feldmann, a lawyer for Wikimedia, said WORLD ONLINE: "We believe at least some of the statements made against the MPs approach is clearly for freedom of expression covered."

Equal to several times a Rohkrepierer

But even regardless of the assessment of appropriate, now deleted passages in the Wikipedia article on Heilmann proved to be the same approach as several Rohrkrepierer: On the weekend increased the volume of donations for the Association rapidly - instead, as usual, around 3000 euros per day now landed around 16,000 Euro in its accounts.

Nevertheless, the association is not happy about the events, as Feldmann, a lawyer in the Berlin Chancellery JBB, observes: "We disturbs the impression of the proceedings will remain liable whom the Wikipedia entry about himself does not like that could easily Luebeck district to go there and ask for an injunction. This impression, however, is not legally tenable. "

For dismay Heilmann approach has also ensured his party friends. Heiko Hilker, media expert from the Left Party in the Saxon parliament, attacked his colleagues in sharply: "If the legal action by Lutz Heilmann against Wikimedia Germany no PR campaign was, he revealed that his technical understanding of the Internet is missing, he legally superficial and works as a politician is unable to appropriate funds. His legal superficiality proved Lutz Heilmann, he was opposed by a club vorging responsible for the content did not responsible. "

Here are the GDR quiz

Especially noteworthy is that with Heilmann a former employee of the full-GDR Ministry for State funding of the law use to access their personal rights to protect. Heilmann had journalistic research after a few years ago, admitted that until the dissolution MfS of having worked there. On its Web site at the Bundestag, he plays down this fact: from 1985 to 1990 extended military service (Personal MfS) "is there. Although it was Heilmann 1989 First 23 years old, but he earned 15,444 mark with the GDR this year, already more than the Most of GDR citizens ever got.

Heilmann was probably not a great light Mielke among men, but it worked for a division, which also resulted spies and has been used against dissidents. That an employee of the former SED repression apparatus now with the resources of law against the unpopular opinions vorging, has at least one Geschmäckle.

On 17 November registered the District Luebeck formally that Lutz Heilmann its application for Temporary Injunction retired, the website has since www.wikipedia.de again on the network. The issue is done yet, as Feldmann says: "We see the danger that the Wikipedia eV future injunctions could be exaggerated. It is therefore necessary to consider whether we address these very possibly other content packs. "
Was also angry that "through the back of Mr Heilmann now in case no decision of the court takes longer. We can no longer our arguments to the competent body to be present and there is no clear legal clarification that you can not against unwanted content on the Internet may proceed. "