Authors' rights in Italy

The intellectual works protected by Italian law.

Italian law protects the original intellectual works which belong to literature, music, visual arts, architecture, theater and cinema.

In particular protection includes:
1) literary, dramatic, scientific, educational, religious works, whether in written or oral;
2) musical works and compositions, with or without words, dramatic and musical works and musical variations that constitute themselves original works;
3) choreographic works and pantomimes;
4) works of sculpture, painting, drawing, engraving and similar figurative arts, including scenic art;
5) designs and works of architecture;
6) works of cinematographic art, whether silent or sound;
7) photographic works;
8) computer programs, expressed in any form as long as a result of original intellectual creation;
9) the data banks designed as collections of works, data or other materials arranged in a systematic or methodical way and individually accessible by electronic or other means. The protection of databases does not extend to their content and shall not affect existing rights to such content;
10) the works of industrial design with creative character and artistic value.

Collective works, formed by the assembling of works or parts of works, which have the character of self-contained creation, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries , anthologies, magazines and newspapers are protected as original works, independently and without prejudice to any copyright of the works or parts of works that compose them.

For more information about rights of author in Italy, please contact us (click here: Lawyers in Italy).

Please, see also:

Distribution contract in Italy

Contract Law in Italy

Law of contract in Italy: the written form

Termination clause and essential term in Italy

Termination of the contract for non-performance and the notice to comply

Non-compete clause in the distribution contract in Italy

Special court for foreign companies in Italy

Sponsorship contract in Italy

Agency contract in Italy

The obligations of the Agent under the Italian Law