The Italian Patent and Trademark Office classifies the invention upon grant according to the International Patent Classification system and checks upon the fulfilment of formal requirements: the application’s title (which must correspond to the actual invention), the invention’s lawfulness according to the Italian Industrial Property Code and the fulfilment of the novelty and inventive step requirements.

Prior art searches are carried out for first Italian patent applications, that is applications not claiming a priority right. Searches are performed by the European Patent Office pursuant to an agreement with the Italian Patent and Trademark Office. Search results are provided in the form of a “standard” Extended European Search Report including an opinion on patentability in English.

Where the Italian application becomes the basis for a European patent or International patent application (PCT) designating the European Patent Office as International Search Authority, the search fee will be reimbursed by the European Patent Office to the applicant directly (and therefore not to the Italian Patent and Trademark Office), if the substantial identity of claims is recognised between the Italian priority application – which has already undergone the search – and the European or International application. No search is performed for Italian utility model applications.

A European patent application, or an International patent application designating the European patent, automatically designates all European Patent Convention contracting states including Italy, and is therefore eligible for provisional protection in Italy (see Can the applicant enforce his rights before grant?) provided that an Italian translation of the claims is filed with the Italian Patent and Trademark Office.

It is possible to open an Italian national phase directly from the International application. The direct route is available for International applications filed as from 1 July 2020.

According to the Italian Industrial Property Code, re-establishment of rights may be obtained if a request is filed no later than one year after the expiration of the unobserved time limit. The omitted act must be completed within two months of the removal of the cause of non-compliance with the time limit. Besides, Italian law provides that in order to obtain the re-establishment of rights, the right holder must have observed the “utmost diligence” (i.e. all due care required by the cirmustances was taken). Re-establishment of rights has so far been rarely granted by the Italian Patent and Trademark Office, due to an extremely restrictive interpretation of this condition.

Italian law provides for injunctive relief which can be requested and applied expeditiously enabling patent holders to protect their rights against infringers. The right holder may request the judge to issue a stop order of the allegedly infringing activity, and to order the seizure of allegedly infringing items, even before the infringement case is heard in court.

The Italian Patent and Trademark Office does not provide for an opposition procedure for patents. Anyone wishing to challenge the validity of an Italian patent must ask the Court of law having jurisdiction on the patent to declare the patent null and void.

The application for an Italian patent entitles the applicant -even before grant- to prevent unauthorised third parties from using the invention, and bring court actions or request injunctive relief for that purpose. The applicant may do so starting 18 months after the filing or priority date (after this period the patent application is open for public inspection) or earlier if the patent application is notified to the infringer.

Italian patents for invention are currently granted about 3 years after filing date. Utility models are granted within 2 years from filing date.

Under Italian law, an invention is the solution of a technical problem which had not previously been solved or had been solved in an unsatisfactory way; a utility model confers a new shape to a product that was already known, making it more useful, effective or comfortable.

The law provides that, under certain conditions, a patent for invention may be converted into a utility model, or vice versa, in order to avoid a loss of rights where the wrong kind of protection has been applied for or granted.

Lastly, there is a difference between the maximum duration of patents for invention (20 years) and utility models (10 years) from the filing date.

New models which improve the usability of machines, their components, utensils and implements in general can be protected with an Italian utility model.

Production processes, chemical inventions and electric/electronic circuits cannot be protected as utility models.

Italian law provides several tools for the enforcement of rights conferred by utility models: the most frequently used is the action for infringement before the competent court. However there are also other, quicker but nonetheless effective enforcement means:

• Cease and desist letter: sometimes a letter notifying the infringer of the existence of the utility model and warning of the holder’s intention to enforce its rights is enough to put a stop to the infringing activity;
• seizure of counterfeit goods or an inhibitory injunction prohibiting further marketing and manufacturing: these measures, as well as a description order (see next paragraph), can be issued by a court upon request both before and during a legal action. Such measures, if granted, are extremely effective;
• description order: it is an evidence-gathering procedure that the court can grant upon request in order to obtain evidence of an alleged infringement. The description is carried out by a bailiff and can take place during a trade show, with obvious bias for the counterfeiter;
• criminal proceedings: intentional infringement must be proved; fines and seizure of products may apply.