On January 15, 2015 the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) handed down a decision concerning the interpretation of Directive 96/9/EC on the legal protection of databases (Database Directive) in a case concerning the extraction of data from a third party’s website by means of automated systems or software for commercial purposes (so… continued
On December 12, 2013 the Italian Communications Authority (AGCOM) approved a new regulation on the enforcement of copyright in the context of online and audiovisual media services.This regulation will enter into force on March 31, 2014 and will require compliance with new policies and procedures. A groundbreaking innovation in the Italian and European media landscape for… continued
Colors and combinations of colors have been increasingly used to distinguish and identify the origin of products. For example, one could point to the blue and silver colors of the Red Bull can, the teal of Tiffany’s jewellery boxes, the bright red featuring on the soles of Louboutin’s high heels, Cadbury’s use of purple for its chocolate packaging and so on…. continued
As an Italian law firm, we are often required to assist television and movie productions involving the Vatican City State (VCS). The first question we are usually asked is which copyright law applies - Vatican law or Italian law? This may be because we are Roman based or because of our media and entertainment expertise or… continued
Introduction Online advertising is the backbone of the internet business model. However, the practice by online advertisers in bidding to use keywords purchased from search engines featuring famous brand names may hurt brand owners’ reputation or divert consumers. Moreover, the internet offers more opportunities for counterfeiters. Indeed, many online stores, usually run by providers outside the European Union, imitate stores selling genuine… continued
Something new is happening in Italy, in terms of both trademark and copyright protection. Firstly Italian Courts have recently issued significant decisions which granted copyright protection to design works against their slavish reproduction by third parties. And secondly a shut-down of web-sites offering counterfeit products has been ordered by the Italian Antitrust Authority that found… continued
