Laut Gegen Nazis Secures Trademark Rights to Neo-Nazi Code "ESSESS"

Feb. 06, 2026

Laut gegen Nazis e.V. is once again taking legal action against far-right extremist propaganda. As part of the Recht gegen Rechts campaign, the association has secured the trademark rights to the neo-Nazi code "ESSESS," thereby once again preventing neo-Nazis from commercially exploiting a key code often used.

For years, codes such as "ESSESS" have been used on merchandise to spread National Socialist ideology while remaining below the threshold of criminal prosecution. At the same time, they represent an important source of income for the far-right. By strategically applying trademark laws, Laut gegen Nazis e.V. is depriving this code of its economic foundation.

Jörn Menge, founder of Laut gegen Nazis e.V said:

"Nazis use codes because they often go unchallenged in everyday life. That’s exactly where we intervene."

 

As the holder of the trademark rights, the association can prohibit third parties from using the code. At the same time, trademark law requires Laut gegen Nazis e.V. to actively use the protected codes itself. This legal requirement is deliberately turned into a strategy and implemented through the largest online shop against Nazis: druck18.com.

The trademarking of the code “ESSESS” builds on earlier legal action taken by Laut gegen Nazis e.V. against far-right commercial structures. As part of the Recht gegen Rechts campaign, the organization had previously secured the trademark rights to the neo-Nazi online shop “Druck18,” operated by the Thuringian neo-Nazi Tommy Frenck and considered one of the highest-revenue distribution networks for far-right lifestyle merchandise in Germany. A court later confirmed the legality of this approach in summary proceedings and ordered Frenck to bear all legal and procedural costs. Following the ruling, Laut gegen Nazis e.V. formally offered the secured “Druck18” trademark to the German Federal Ministry of the Interior as well as the Thuringian Ministry of the Interior, underlining that far-right codes and symbols can be effectively removed from the public sphere using existing legal instruments. The current action targeting “ESSESS” continues this strategy.

Through clear reinterpretation and design, formerly far-right codes are transformed into visible symbols opposing right-wing extremism. The merchandise itself thus becomes a tool in the fight against extremist ideology. The goal is to remove these symbols from everyday life and reduce the threat they pose to the free democratic order.

“ESSESS” shirts and related redesigned products are available exclusively at druck18.com. Every item sold helps to detach the code from its far-right context and simultaneously functions as a donation against right-wing extremism. With its own webshop, Laut gegen Nazis e.V. sends a clear signal against the normalisation of Nazi codes in everyday life and demonstrates how far-right symbolism can not only be stopped legally, but also defused in terms of meaning.