Rammstein - Sue Germany Over 2009 Indexed Album
The last album Rammstein released was 2009's Liebe Ist Für Alle Da. The German industrial metallers are now suing the state because the album was indexed by German authorities in 2009, making it illegal in Germany for minors to purchase the album, or display it where it could be seen by people underage, effectively banning it from stores. According to Deutsche Welle, Rammstein has filed a lawsuit against Germany for having temporarily indexed the album Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, said a spokesperson of the Bonn Regional Court on Monday. The band is seeking 66,000 Euros (nearly $75,000) in damages.
In 2009, the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons, a German governmental agency responsible for listing works that could potentially harm youths, had decided that one of the songs of the album, "Ich Tu Dir Weh," as well as the pictures in the booklet accompanying the CD, were "brutalizing" and "immoral." The entire album was indexed. Once a work gets listed by the organization, it may not be advertised and can only be sold under strict conditions - limiting its potential success.
Rammstein claims it had to destroy or store nearly 85,000 copies of the album following this classification. Now the band wants to recover the damages. However, it remains unclear why the band has decided to file the lawsuit only now, seven years after the indexing.
The album did not remain on the index. The Administrative Court in Cologne removed the album from the list of morally harmful works after half a year, claiming the classification to be unlawful, as it neglected considerations of artistic freedom in its decision.
The martial, exaggerated portrayal of violence is a trademark style of the band, determined the court. Such staged representations are so distorted that they cannot be considered "realistic excesses of violence."
The case will be heard in court in the summer.
In 2009, the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons, a German governmental agency responsible for listing works that could potentially harm youths, had decided that one of the songs of the album, "Ich Tu Dir Weh," as well as the pictures in the booklet accompanying the CD, were "brutalizing" and "immoral." The entire album was indexed. Once a work gets listed by the organization, it may not be advertised and can only be sold under strict conditions - limiting its potential success.
Rammstein claims it had to destroy or store nearly 85,000 copies of the album following this classification. Now the band wants to recover the damages. However, it remains unclear why the band has decided to file the lawsuit only now, seven years after the indexing.
The album did not remain on the index. The Administrative Court in Cologne removed the album from the list of morally harmful works after half a year, claiming the classification to be unlawful, as it neglected considerations of artistic freedom in its decision.
The martial, exaggerated portrayal of violence is a trademark style of the band, determined the court. Such staged representations are so distorted that they cannot be considered "realistic excesses of violence."
The case will be heard in court in the summer.
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| Band profile: | Rammstein |
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| corrupt With a lowercase c admin Posts: 3131  |
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| Lokasenna Posts: 63 |
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| Vombatus Potorro Posts: 2355  |
Yeah, kinda weird. Not much money considering they had to destroy/store 85k copies and doing it now, 7 years later?
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Vombatus on 08.04.2016 at 15:58 I don't believe that at all. Those copies could have been shipped easily to other countries. I call bullshit on that part. This is some sort of marketing trick by them to put them in the limelight again.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Vombatus Potorro Posts: 2355 |
^oh yes, most probably it is bullshit. But that's why it's weird to only ask 66k euros in damages for the supposed issue stated. It makes it even less credible.
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| Andreas Posts: 330 |
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| FYA Destroyer Posts: 827  |
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| ManiacBlasphemer Black Knight Posts: 1085  |
For 66k they could settle outside of court... seriously. Very pointless lawsuit. Its not like Rammstein lacks cash... if even they do, then underground bands have no chance whatsoever.
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311  |
As Marcel said, this seems to be just a publicity move, with their new album in the making and all. Besides, I doubt Rammstein themselves decided to go ahead with this, it's probably some firm related to them as it happened with Metallica suing the cover band using their logo.
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| VileVick-Bryant Posts: 728  |
Yea it does seem weird but who knows maybe they were to busy at the time to sue them.  Yea I know that's a silly reason. They shouldn't really worry about it, heck they have another album coming soon that should sell just as much anyway. As for Germany trying to keep it away from kids. I don't know I thought with computers these days they would be buying it on Amazon or downloading it. So really what's stopping most of them from getting their music?
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