Italy

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Used / Reconditioned

Please see: http://web.ita.doc.gov/.

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VARS, ISVs, Resellers, System Integrators

System Integrators

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Directories and Databases

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Duties, Tariffs & Taxes

The Trade Information Center has the European Union tariff schedule on-line for member countries listed above, as well as country specific value added tax rates.  Please see: http://www.trade.gov/.

For additional information specific to the ICT Sector, please see: http://web.ita.doc.gov/.

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General Country Information

http://www.countryreports.org/	Country Reports
http://www.eventsworldwide.com/	Events Worldwide
http://www.infoplease.com	INFOPLEASE Italy Info
http://www.italiantourism.com/	Italian Tourism
http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/italy/	Italy And Austrailian Coverment Trading
http://www.imf.org/	Italy And The IMF
http://www.itwg.com/	Italy Hotels
http://www.renttuscany.com/	Renting Property In Italy
http://www.worldsurface.com/	Travel Info Stories Pictures
http://www.state.gov/	US Dept. of State's Background Notes
http://travel.state.gov/	US Dept. of State's Consular Information Sheet
http://www.usis.it/mission/	US Embassy Rome
http://www.odci.gov/	CIA Factbook
http://www.eia.doe.gov/	US Energy Dept's Country Analysis Brief
http://www.mi.cnr.it/	The Italian General Subject Tree (In Italian)
http://geography.about.com/	About's guide to Italy
http://www.fodors.com/	Fodors is known for being the best site for travel offering hotel, restaurant reviews and their series of mini-guides to specific destinations.
http://travel.lycos.com/	Lycos Guide for Italy

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Intellectual Property Rights

Laws governing physical property are adequate and enforced.  The legal system protects and facilitates acquisitions and disposition of all property rights, such as land, building, and mortgages
 
In August 2000 the Italian Parliament enacted the long-awaited "anti-piracy" law, providing for higher criminal penalties for IPR violations.  Italy has since been downgraded from the U.S. Trade Representative's Special 301 IPR "Priority Watch List" to the "Watch List."  According to American film, music and software industry representatives, enforcement against piracy has been improving in recent years.  With this new legislation, law enforcement agencies and magistrates are empowered with more effective tools to combat piracy and, according to the industry, are already obtaining very good results.  In August 2001 the Italian government passed implementing regulations for the Anti-piracy law. The regulations appear to generally satisfy the U.S. government, which will continue to closely monitor developments in this area. 
 
In recent years, the Italian Government has substantially increased enforcement actions against both video and software pirates, creating an Interministerial Anti-Piracy Committee, specialized training courses for Italy's three law enforcement agencies, and "pools" of prosecutors specialized in combating intellectual property crimes in Milan, Rome, Naples and other major cities.  The Government's efforts have led to decreases from previous levels in both piracy rates and piracy losses for some U.S. copyright industries; however, further effort will be needed to reduce the level of piracy, which remains unacceptably high, and to stem piracy losses which are growing for some copyright industries.
 
Italy is a member of the Paris Union International Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (patents and trademarks) to which the United States and about 85 other countries adhere.  U.S. citizens generally receive national treatment in acquiring and maintaining patent and trademark protection in Italy.  In addition, after filing a patent application in the United States, a U.S. citizen is entitled to a 12‑month period within which to file a corresponding application in Italy and receive the benefit in Italy of his or her first U.S. filing date (rights of priority).  The priority right filing period for trademarks is 6 months.
 
Italy is also a member of the Berne Copyright Union and adheres to the Universal Copyright Convention to which the United States and 50 other countries are signatories.  U.S. authors can thereby obtain copyright protection in Italy for their work first copyrighted in the United States merely by placing on the work, their name, date of first publication, and the symbol ©. In turn, Italian authors have the same rights in the United States for works first copyrighted in Italy.
 
Patent and trademark applications and inquiries should be addressed to:
 
Ministero dell'Industria, del Commercio, e dell'Artigianato
Ufficio Italiano Brevetti e Marchi
Via Molise, 19
00187 Rome, Italy
 
Applications and inquires concerning copyrights should be addressed to:
 
Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri
Dipartimento per l'Informazione e per l'Editoria
Via Boncompagni, 15
00187 Rome, Italy
 
Laws Governing Intellectual Property Rights
 
Patents and Licensing:  The principal laws governing patent protection are Royal Decrees No. 3731 of October 30, 1859, No. 1127 of June 29, 1939, and Presidential Decree No. 338 of June 19, 1979.  Decree 338 amends the former Italian legislation and implements the European Patent Convention.  To be patentable, an invention must be novel, that is, it cannot have been available to the public anywhere else before the date of the filing or of the priority claimed and non obvious, that is, if the differences between the subject matter to be patented and the prior act are such that the subject matter would have been obvious to an ordinarily skilled person.
 
Patents are granted for 20 years from the effective filing date of application. They are assignable and transferable.  A patent can be subject to compulsory licensing if not worked within 3 years from date of grant or four years from the filing date of application, whichever is later.  In accordance with Italy's Uruguay Round implementing statute (Law 747 of December 29, 1994) and the implementing decree enacted on March 19, 1996, the Italian law was amended so that the introduction or sale in Italy of items manufactured in foreign countries belonging to the World Trade Organization constitutes working of the invention.
 
Licensing and technical assistance agreements with foreign firms are encouraged by the government.  The foreign exchange necessary to effect payment abroad (including the United States) of bona fide royalties and/or technical assistance fees can be obtained simply upon application to the Italian Exchange Office through a bank. Applicants are required to produce the original contract with the foreign concern and to submit a certified copy of such a contract.  A certificate confirming the validity of the patent should also be submitted in the event that the contract provides for the use of patents.
 
Annual taxes must be paid during the period an Italian patent is in force. These taxes are progressive and range from euro .52 for the first year to euro 18.08 for the 15th year.
 
Trademarks:  The principal trademark registration laws are Royal Decree No. 929 of June 21, 1942.  Some types of terms are not able to be registered as trademarks, such as those deemed to be generic, those containing false indications of quality or origin of goods, and those with similar terms already registered by others in Italy or for which applications are pending.  For some goods, geographic names may not be used in trademarks nor can the portraits of persons be registered without their consent.
 
Trademark applications are examined for acceptability of their format and consistency with the laws. If an application is in order, the mark will be registered. The first applicant is entitled to registration. However, any other person who claims to be the first user of the mark in Italy can have the prior registration cancelled, provided the claim can be proven. No claim of prior use can be made after the registered mark is 5 years old.
 
Trademarks are registered for 20 years from the effective application filing date and are renewable for similar periods.  Failure to use a mark within three years after its registration can result in cancellation.  Trademarks may be assigned to other users provided such action does not involve deceptive trade practices.
 
For administrative purposes, trademark products are classified under 42 groups (1-34 for products and 35-42 for services).  Applications must indicate the appropriate classification.
 
Copyrights: Both Italy and the United States are sig­natories of the Universal Copyright Convention, which provides for mutual copyright protection.  In Italy, copyrights are protected by Law No. 633 of April 22, 1941 and Decree Law No. 82 of August 23, 1946. Executive recognition in the form of copyright protection to the author is accorded intellectual creations pertaining to science, literature, music, decorative arts, architecture, the theater, and motion pictures.
 
The following additional legislation relating to the protection of copyright was subsequently issued:  Illegal duplication of phonographic material (No. 406 7/29/81); Illegal duplication and transmission of cinematographic film works (No. 400 7/20/85); Illegal duplication of software (No. 518 12/20/92 - enacting EU Directive 91/250) - criminal sanctions for software piracy were subsequently increased by legislative decree in April 1996; Rental and neighboring rights related to intellectual property (No. 685 11/16/94 - enacting EU rental rights directive and outlawing unauthorized "bootleg" recordings of live performances).
 
Further detailed information on procedures regarding patent, trademark, and copyright protection in Italy should be obtained from competent legal counsel.
 
EU Initiatives on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Protection
 
Italy is also a signatory to the European Patent Convention, which provides for a centralized European-wide patent protection system (Italy has not yet ratified the convention). The European Patents Act of 1977 provides increased legal protection, a patents court, and guidelines for compensation of an inventor.  Under the European Convention, an applicant for a patent is to be granted a pre-examined 15-year, non-renewable European patent that has the effect of a national patent in all 16 countries that are signatories of the convention, based on a single application to the European Patent Office. This procedure should expedite the granting of patents. However, infringement proceedings remain within the jurisdiction of the national courts, which could result in some divergent interpretations.  Further information may be obtained from the European Patent Office, Motorama-Haus, Rosenheimer Strasse 30, Munich, Germany.
 
The EU commission is attempting to harmonize copyright protection in several areas and views continued progress as a key part of its programs for the internal market. The software directive, approved by the European Council in 1991, entered into force on January 1, 1993.  Seven member states including Italy have transposed the directive into national legislation.  The directive on rental and lending rights, approved by the Council in 1992, was implemented in Italy in late 1994 (see above).
 
In September 1993, the Council adopted a directive on the harmonization of copyright laws in satellite broadcasting and cable retransmission (EU Directive 93/83).  This measure allows satellite broadcasters to clear in their country of origin full copyright responsibility for their entire footprint throughout Europe. In an attempt to overcome the significant divergences among the member states in this area of IPR protection, in October 1993, the Council adopted the directive on the harmonization of the duration of copyright and of certain related rights (EU Directive 93/98).  It provides for the term of copyright to be harmonized for a period of 70 years after the author's death.  For related rights, it harmonizes the term of protection at 50 years from the date of production.  Italian Decree Law 544 of June 1995 and Law 52 of February 1996 implemented these two directives.

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