CLASS 99
The blog for design law, in Europe and worldwide. This weblog is written by a team of design experts and fans. To contribute, or join us, or for any other reason, email class99@marques.org.
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WEDNESDAY, 7 MARCH 2012
Perpetuo mobile for Italian design/copyright moratorium
From our friends at Modiano & Partners comes this newsletter item which will be of great interest to those who seek design protection in Italy -- as well as those who seek to avoid liability for infringing it.
Tags: italy, transitional period. moratorium,
Perm-A-Link: https://www.marques.org/blogs/class99?XID=BHA331
Perpetuo mobile for Italian design/copyright moratorium
From our friends at Modiano & Partners comes this newsletter item which will be of great interest to those who seek design protection in Italy -- as well as those who seek to avoid liability for infringing it.
"Yet another change in the protection of Industrial Design vs. Copyright in Italy.Readers may remember the Court of Justice reference in Case C-168/09 Flos on Italian transitional provisions (noted here by the IPKat). The whole problem is one which has been complex, confusing and frustrating for owners of intellectual property rights and for those who make products in which they think those rights have expired. Will criticism of the most recent changes and the complaint filed with the Commmission lead to even more changes? This prospect just adds to the uncertainty. Posted by: Blog Administrator @ 17.27
In recent years, the hard-fought transitional law regarding the application of copyright protection to works of industrial design has evolved through a series of legislative provisions, enacted in quick succession and for the most part unconvincing and contradictory.
In the most recent wording of Article 239 of the Italian Industrial Property Code (IPC) introduced by Legislative Decree no. 131 of August 13, 2010 (which implemented European directive 98/71), copyright protection was recognised for industrial designs which, before April 19, 2001 (the date of entry in force of the law on cumulative protection), never had been registered as designs or had a now-expired registration and thus entered the public domain.
This article allowed for a moratorium: third parties who had made or sold, in the twelve months before April 19, 2001, copies of such products in the belief that they were products that had entered the public domain, would not be in violation of copyright by continuing their copying activities even after the date of the law's coming into force, only for products made or bought by them before April 19, 2001 and products made by them in the 5 years following that date, and on condition that the activity be kept to the quantitative limits of the prior use.
This grace period has now been recently changed, since Article 22 bis of the Year's End Decree (Decreto Milleproroghe) extends the moratorium on design infringement from the 5 years to 13 years, with the result that the duration of the moratorium will now be until 2014. Basically the deadline is extended for third parties who copy design objects that are protected by copyright, so they can continue to do so unfettered and without infringing anyone's copyright.
This latest move has been strongly criticised by several industry associations (such as the associations of furniture designers and of brand owners) who have filed a complaint against Italy at the European Commission".
Tags: italy, transitional period. moratorium,
Perm-A-Link: https://www.marques.org/blogs/class99?XID=BHA331
MARQUES does not guarantee the accuracy of the information in this blog. The views are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of MARQUES. Seek professional advice before action on any information included here.
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