Region: Italy

Grana Padano ruling raises fresh questions about PDO enforcement

The Court of Turin has issued a decision involving the Italian cheese Grana Padano, deeming the term ‘grana’ to be generic. This ruling directly contrasts an earlier Court of Venice decision on the same issue, indicating that there is a lack of harmonisation surrounding applications of protected designation of origins.

31 May 2023

UPC central division will have branch in Milan, Italian government announces

But there’s no clarity yet on the new section’s competencies

19 May 2023

New nullity proceedings good news for trademark budgets in Italy

Italy’s IP office has launched new proceedings for determining nullity and revocation with the aim of providing a streamlined and significantly cheaper alternative to legal proceedings.

26 April 2023

Italian parliament flares up over proposed UPC relocation

After a rocky start to Italy’s relationship with the UPC, the suggestion that the London division be moved to Milan has sparked strong opposition from Italian IP experts and members of parliament due to disagreements over the division’s competence.

19 April 2023

Court of Venice restricts commercial use of Da Vinci artwork

Italian companies and their foreign subsidiaries are not allowed to use Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man for merchandise without the relevant gallery’s consent. The decision expands the possibilities of challenging the unauthorised use of images of cultural or artistic goods where copyright has expired.

05 April 2023

Italian Supreme Court redefines ‘parody’ in 15-year ad dispute

The long-running Zorro case clarifies the boundaries of parody in relation to well-known trademarks. The court asserted that a parody must respect a fair balance between the author's freedom of expression and the rights of the original work's owner.

29 March 2023

New legislation overhauls and their impact on IP litigation

While the codification of remote hearings, a triple exchange of briefs and the simplification of procedures may present new challenges, these new reforms should ultimately bring about positive changes to the justice system by streamlining and modernising procedures.

22 March 2023

Italy: Patent litigation

Featured in Global Patent Litigation 2023

There is no ‘bifurcation’ in Italy. The assessment of the validity of the rights and the discussion regarding infringement are usually handled together in the same proceedings. They are definitely handled together in cases in which the defendant files its counterclaims in the same proceeding.

26 October 2022

Elisabetta Papa

Featured in IAM Global Leaders 2022

"One of my biggest challenges (that is what I call a professional ‘obstacle’) has been, over the years, making Italian companies and SMEs aware of the strategic importance of intellectual property and inviting them to consider the related tools available as opportunities for growth and access to global markets."

22 November 2021

Claudio Germinario

Featured in IAM Global Leaders 2022

"I always strongly recommend coordinating the patent strategies developed by different attorney teams in other jurisdictions to avoid any possible contradictions."

22 November 2021

Unlock unlimited access to all IAM content