(1) Upon request, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office shall grant inspection of the files of applications for trade marks if a legitimate interest is substantiated.
(2) After the registration of the trade mark, inspection of the files of the registered trade mark shall be granted.
(3) Inspection of the files in accordance with subsection (2) may also be granted via the Internet where the files are kept electronically.
(4) The inspection of the files in accordance with subsections (1) to (3) shall be ruled out where
1. it is precluded by a legal provision;
2. the interest meriting protection of the data subject within the meaning of Article 4 (1) of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4 May 2016, p. 1, L 314, 22 November 2016, p. 72, L 127 of 23 May 2018, p. 2) in its respectively applicable version obviously prevails; or
3. it refers to contents of the files that are obviously contrary to public policy or to accepted principles of morality.
(5) The Register may be inspected by any person.