How Rights against the Right Is Pushing Back on Nazi Codes
“Nazis are surprisingly innovative when it comes to spreading their racist beliefs.”
That powerful statement is the starting point of Laut gegen Nazis’ [Aloud Against Nazis’] latest campaign alongside Jung von Matt in Berlin. With the aim of stopping racist and antisemitic phrases from being used on t-shirts, rompers and general merchandise, the team have begun buying the trademark rights for some of these abbreviated Nazi phrases, making it impossible for companies to use them without serious repercussions.
In this genius rebellion against intolerance and racism, the campaign not only tackles the rising right-wing ideologies which are continuing to grow after the recent elections, but the campaign also stops subtle attempts at spreading these beliefs. With Germany's right-wing party, the AFD, growing in popularity and therefore power, the NGO Laut gegen Nazis needed to pack a punch to get people talking and stop the ideologies from spreading. And this campaign definitely did that.
With a website detailing the process behind the campaign and the need for people to donate - so that they can register even more trademarks - the message was effectively communicated in both German and English, giving the spot an international reach. Having been picked up by press around the world, the starting point for the campaign is the VTRLND (Vaterland or father’s country) phrase, which has already begun to be removed by brands who are selling merch containing the abbreviations.
With monetary implications and in some cases, potential jail sentences for using these trademarked phrases, the ‘Rights against the Right’ campaign is making its mark. To hear more, LBB speaks to the Jung von Matt team about the process.
[German version below]
LBB> How long have you been working on this campaign with Laut gegen Nazis and what was the starting point of it?
JvM> Two years of dedication and hard work bridged the gap between our initial trademark registration attempt and the triumphant launch of the campaign. Our journey commenced with a comprehensive briefing from our esteemed client, Aloud against Nazis. This remarkable non-profit organisation and initiative are fervently committed to eradicating the scourge of Nazism, extreme right violence, and hatred, not only in Germany but also throughout Europe.
LBB> With this campaign in particular, what was Laut gegen Nazis aiming to do? How did you bring that into the creative ideation process?
JvM> The challenge presented was twofold: first, to discover a novel approach for amplifying awareness of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and second, to underscore the relentless inventiveness with which modern-day Nazis in Germany propagate their toxic ideologies.
While it has long been recognised that Nazis employ abbreviations as a means to disseminate their messages, it had, until now, remained an enigma as to how to effectively counteract this method.
LBB> What is the political situation in Germany like at the moment? What are you seeing with right-wing ideologies and the reflection of that within politics?
JvM> Recent election results underscore a prevalent right-wing surge, a trend resonating across Europe. Approximately one-fifth of the electorate exhibits these inclinations, propelling Germany's right-wing party, the AFD, to the position of the second most influential political force in many parliaments.
Simultaneously, the Mitte study has unveiled a disconcerting revelation; presently, 1 in 12 adults espouse a right-wing extremist worldview, accounting for 8% of the survey respondents. This marks a substantial increase compared to previous years when this figure hovered between 2-3%.
Moreover, there has been a significant shift to the right in self-identification, with 15.5%of the population now considering themselves right-of-centre. This marks a notable rise from the just under 10% reported two years ago in the preceding survey.
LBB> For those who aren’t in Germany, how have certain phrases been used as slogans without any consideration of their origins? Can you tell us a bit more about the crux of the issue behind the campaign?
JvM> It’s costly and difficult to create new laws around a specific piece of language, while it’s comparably easy for the extreme right to just come up with new codes. For example, having the word Hakenkreuz (Swastika) on a shirt is illegal, the letters HKNKRZ are not. However, they mean the same thing, disguised just by omitting the vocals. It’s a loophole the extremist right-wing and contemporary Nazi online shops have used with unexpected inventiveness, extending their codes to abbreviations like VTRLND (Vaterland or father’s country, a description for Germany that Nazis used excessively in the Third Reich). VTRLND being the bestseller of various online shops, was the first one we successfully claimed with trademark law.
LBB> The website and video for the campaign are both incredibly informative and explain the situation. What was the process of creating these in German and English, to reach the widest audience possible?
JvM> The challenge at hand was to convey all essential information within the video, ensuring that there wouldn’t be any questions left open. We were acutely aware that the vast reach of the internet would subject our campaign to extensive discussion.
Thus, it became imperative for us to emphasise that our approach not only exposed the tactics employed but also left no room for any counter-strategies. Our primary focus remained on the German version. However, the forthcoming codes and abbreviations we’re about to have trademarked will be international, so we wanted to make sure to also reach international audiences.
LBB> In terms of the design of the website and also the visuals, why did you choose this particular style and how does it support the campaign message?
JvM> The challenge was clear: we needed to deliver information swiftly, in a straightforward, and engaging manner. The result was a creation that achieved the remarkable feat of garnering millions of views and shares on social media within a matter of hours.
LBB> Outside of Germany, how have people been reacting to the initiative?
JvM> The media response was exceptional, both on a national and international scale, with numerous inquiries pouring in from high profile press outlets. This widespread interest stemmed from the surge of right-wing sentiment across Europe, prompting swift attention.
The concept underlying our campaign was intuitively grasped by a broad audience, who recognised its impact. Consequently, our campaign not only gained traction in the press but also resonated beyond Germany's borders, as it was fervently shared across various social media platforms.
LBB> You’ve worked alongside trademark and patent organisations to stop these words and phrases from being used and it’s already beginning to create a change. Can you tell us what’s already happened?
JvM> Numerous attempts have been made to register specific terms as trademarks, but not all have been approved. The European Trade Mark Office, citing Article 7(1)(f) of the UMV, has rejected some of these applications on the grounds that they run contrary to morality and public policy. As a result, signs that conflict with public policy or morality are ineligible for registration as EU trademarks.
It's somewhat perplexing that certain terms, which should be deemed objectionable, continue to appear on shirts. This situation has made it challenging for us to discuss the specifics of new terms under registration. Only this much: these terms are currently in the registration process and may be unveiled soon. For now, we prefer to keep them under wraps, as releasing them prematurely carries the risk of falling into the wrong hands during the objection period.
LBB> A large part of this campaign is fundraising to get a chance to combat all the possible versions of these phrases as well as hold companies accountable. How can people donate to the cause?
JvM> All the information can be found on our website at rightsagainsttheright.com. Additionally, you can make a valuable contribution by using the donation button, available through betterplace.org. We really appreciate any and all contributions that support our cause against right-wing extremism.
LBB> What are some of the responses you’re seeing already?
JvM> We've already achieved the most beautiful number for the case: a mere 48 hours after launching the campaign, several stores voluntarily removed shirts from their online shops, without us needing to send a formal warning letter. This swift response underscores the immense potential of our idea. Even right-wing extremists acknowledge that.
