Benzoic acid ester compounds of formula: wherein R 1 -R 5 are selected independently from hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxy, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkoxy, hydroxy, amino, C 1 -C 6 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -dialkylamino, wherein said two alkyl portions of said dialkylamino can form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a heterocycle selected from pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine and piperazine optionally N-substituted by C 1 -C 6 -alkyl or C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl-C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino and C 3 -C 6 -dicycloalkylamino, or two groups on adjacent ring carbons form a fused O-(CH 2) m -O group wherein m is 1 or 2, or two groups on adjacent ring carbons form a fused CH=CH-CH=CH group; R is a group selected from (i), (ii) and (iii): wherein R' is selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl and C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl; R 6 -R 10 are selected independently from hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxy, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkoxy, hydroxy, amino, C 1 -C 6 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -dialkylamino, wherein said two alkyl portions of said dialkylamino can form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a heterocycle selected from pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine and piperazine optionally N-substituted by C 1 -C 6 -alkyl or C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl-C 3 -C 6 -CyCloalkylamino and C 3 -C 6 -dicycloalkylamino, or two groups on adjacent ring carbons form a fused O-(CH 2) n -O group wherein n is 1 or 2, or two groups on adjacent ring carbons form a fused CH=CH-CH=CH group; R 11 is selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl and C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl; R 12 is selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl and C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl; R 13 and R 14 are selected independently from hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxy, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkoxy, hydroxy, amino, C 1 -C 6 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -dialkylamino, wherein said two alkyl portions of said dialkylamino can form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a heterocycle selected from pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine and piperazine optionally N-substituted by C 1 -C 6 -alkyl or C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl-C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino and C 3 -C 6 -dicycloalkylamino; or the group OR 12 and R 14 form a fused O-(CH 2) p -O group wherein p is 1 or 2; R 15 is selected from 1-pyrrolidinyl, 1-piperidinyl, 4-morpholinyl and 1 -piperazinyl optionally N-substituted by C 1 -C 6 -alkyl or C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl-C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino and C 3 -C 6 -dicycloalkylamino; and R 16 -R 18 are selected independently from hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkoxy, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkoxy, hydroxy, amino, C 1 -C 6 -alkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -dialkylamino, wherein said two alkyl portions of said dialkylamino can form, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, a heterocycle selected from pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine and piperazine optionally N-substituted by C 1 -C 6 -alkyl or C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl-C 3 -C 6 -cycloalkylamino and C 3 -C 6 -dicycloalkylamino, or two groups on adjacent ring carbons form a fused O-(CH 2) q -O group wherein q is 1 or 2, or two groups on adjacent ring carbons form a fused CH=CH-CH=CH group; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, for use in the protection of a human or animal living body from ultraviolet radiation.