Rights Against the Right Secures EU Trademarks for Nazi Codes to Target €25 Hitler Shirt Sales
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 15
Rights Against the Right Secures EU Trademarks for Nazi Codes to Target €25 Hitler Shirt Sales
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 15
Summary
Rights Against the Right is obtaining European Union trademarks for neo-Nazi symbols and coded phrases, aiming to sue online sellers of pro-Nazi merchandise for infringement.
The campaign targets a loophole in Germany, where public Nazi symbols are banned but online shops still sell items such as €25 Hitler-glorifying shirts using altered spellings like “HTLR” or numeric code “88.”
Berlin-founded in 2021 by ad agency Jung von Matt with nonprofit Laut Gegen Nazis, the effort plans to recast some slogans into anti-Nazi designs, including an “HTLR” shirt altered with an “I” and a poop emoji.
Former neo-Nazi merch seller Philip Schlaffer, now an adviser to the project, said cutting off profits is the most effective way to weaken retailers serving Germany’s far-right scene.