Class 46 has just received this newsflash from MARQUES External Relations Officer Alessandra Romeo:

By Decree of January 13, 2010, No. 33, the Implementing Regulation of the Italian Industrial Property Code, as adopted by Law Decree of 10 February 2005, No. 30, has been published on the Official Gazette No. 56, Ordinary Supplement No. 48/L on March 9, 2010.

The new Industrial Property Law Code actually entered in force in Italy nearly five years ago. This new Code, the result of an extensive revision and upgrade of earlier industrial property rights laws, also introduced some significant changes and simplifications in trade marks procedures before the Office (e.g. in respect of the formalities and requirements for recording a transfer in ownership of IP rights) and also enacted administrative opposition proceedings.

The publication of the Implementing Regulation will eventually make it possible to protect trade mark rights by means of administrative opposition proceedings in Italy. However, the timetable for the implementation of all required tools, including the publication of applications in the Official Bulletin of Trade Marks for opposition purposes, remains unknown.  Further developments will be reported as soon as we have them.