Patents - Trade Marks - Designs - Copyright - Litigations

Intelectual Property Rights in Italy

PATENTS FOR INVENTIONS
 

Protectable:	any subject (product, device, system, method, process, etc.) representing a solution of a technical problem.
Main patentability requirements:	novelty and non-obviousness.
Term:	20 years.

 
 

PATENTS FOR UTILITY MODELS
 

Protectable:	improvements of articles, machines, their parts, instruments or tools, resulting in a particular efficacy or comfort of their use.
Main patentability requirements:	novelty and non-obviousness.
Term:	10 years.

 
 

REGISTRATION OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS
 

Protectable:	the aesthetic form of an industrial product.
Main patentability requirements:	novelty of the form in the specific class of products and individualizing character of the form.
Term:	25 years.

 
 

TRADE MARKS
 

Protectable:	distinctive signs of commercial products and services.
Main registration requirements:	distinctive power and novelty vis-a-vis the trade marks relevant to similar products (the previous use of the owner is not harmful to the novelty).
Term:	10 years renewable.

 
 

COPYRIGHT
 

Protectable:	the expression form of an intellectual work.
Main protection requirements:	creativity (distinctive personal imprint).
Term:	70 years after the death of the author.

 
 

SLAVISH IMITATION
 

Protectable:	the form of commercial products.
Main protection requirements:	distinctive power.
Term:	everlasting.

 

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