Verdict: Ralph Siegel wins the case for “Dschinghis Khan”

There can only be one “Dschinghis Khan”: In a dispute over the logo of the Schlager combo, composer and producer Ralph Siegel prevailed against the former lead singer Wolfgang Heichel, who also appears as “Dschinghis Khan”.

Siegel, as the authoritative producer and creator, is entitled to a “company trademark right” to “Dschinghis Khan”, as the Munich District Court I announced on Wednesday.

Heichel, in turn, failed with a counterclaim with which he wanted Siegel to ban “Dschinghis Khan” appearances on German television. However, the judgment is not final, so the dispute could go to the second instance. “We will first examine the judgment and then decide whether we will appeal,” said Heichel’s lawyer on request.

The singer has been registered with the German Patent and Trademark Office as the owner of the logo since 2017. According to the judgment, Heichel left the band in 2014 after “disagreements” and has since performed as “Dschinghis Khan”, especially in Eastern Europe.

Siegel reacted with satisfaction to the decision: “I am pleased that after three years I finally heard what I invented again,” he said when asked. “I invented Genghis Khan 40 years ago, from the first song, from the first costume, from the first choreography step.”

The composer argued in court that as the founder and chief composer he was entitled to the rights to “Dschinghis Khan” – including the band logo with sunset and a flying eagle in front of a mountain landscape that he had designed. According to the court, Siegel’s rights have not expired just because the band no longer existed in the meantime.