RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/Q/ITA/1
24October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4463)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION ONCOPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS
Italy1
Thepresent document reproduces thequestions puttothedelegation ofItalyandtheresponses
given inthereview oflegislation oncopyright andrelated rights attheCouncil 'smeeting of
22to25July19962.
_______________
REPLIES TOQUESTIONS POSED BYTHE UNITED STATES
1. Please explain whether andhowItalian lawprovides protection forworks, phonograms and
performances fromother WTO Members, andwhether andhowitdoessoonthebasis ofnational
treatment, asrequired byTRIPS Article 3(generally, withrespect toallcopyrights andneighbouring
rights) andArticle 9.1(incorporating Berne Article 6.1). Inparticular, please explain hownational
treatment isafforded withrespect tothedistribution oflevies forprivate copying under therelevant
provision oftheitalian copyright law.
Articles 185-189 ofLawNo.633/19413provide theprinciples regulating theprotection of
foreign authors, onthebasis ofthesame treatment forthenational authors. Itshould beconsidered
thattheratification ofaninternational agreement orconvention implies automatically theinclusion
ofalltherules oftheagreement orconvention inthenational legislation, without anyfurther
requirements. So,theprovisions ofArticle 5.1oftheBerne Convention andArticle 3.1oftheTRIPS
Agreement arepartoftheItalian legislation. Thesame principle applies totherights oftheartists,
etc.
Therightfortheremuneration forprivate copying infavour oftheauthors andtheproducers
ofaudiovisual works andofvideograms isregulated byArticle 3,LawNo.93of5February 1992.
Theremuneration isfixed onthebasisofapercentage ofthewholesale price todealers ofblank audio
andvideotapes orother audio andvideo carriers (audio cassettes, video cassettes andother carriers)
andofaudio recording equipments; theremuneration isduebywhoever manufactures orimports in
theterritory oftheState, forcommercial purposes, blank tapes orother blank audio orvideo carriers,
1Italy'snotification oflawsandregulations intheareaofcopyright andrelated rights under Article 63.2
oftheAgreement hasbeen circulated indocuments IP/N/1/ITA/1 andIP/N/1/ITA/C/1-3.
2Theminutes ofthemeeting have been circulated indocument IP/C/M/8.
3Seedocument IP/N/1/ITA/C/1.IP/Q/ITA/1
Page2
oraudio recording equipments. Theremuneration ispaidtoSocietà Italiana degli Autori deEditori
(SIAE) thatwilldistribute it,netofcost,totheauthors andtophonographic producers.
[Follow-up question]
Theanswer didnotmakeclearwhether national treatment isprovided withrespect totheprivate
copying levies established byItalian law.Please confirm thatallrevenues generated fromtheselevies
inItalyaredistributed onthebasis ofnational treatment torightholders fromallWTO Members,
regardless ofthetypeofrightholder.
Theprivate copying levies arepaidtotheSIAE, which distributes them among authors 'and
producers 'associations; theproducers 'associations share out50percentoftheproceeds theyhave
collected toartists 'andperformers 'associations. There isnodiscrimination between Italian andforeign
rightholders.
2. Does Italyapply the"rule oftheshorter term" tophonograms andperformances fromother
WTO Members, andifsoplease explain howthisisconsistent withtheobligations setforthinTRIPS
Article 4.
Thetermofprotection oftherights ofperformers, producers ofphonograms, etc.hasbeen
extended to50years byLawNo.52ofFebruary 1996, Article 17(amended byArticle 9of
D.L. No.331of22June1996which isbeing converted intolaw); LawNo.52hasenforced theEEC
Directive No.93/98 (Articles 3,1and2).
[Follow-up question]
Please confirm thatItalydoesnotapply theruleoftheshorter termtophonograms and
performances.
The50years termapplies toallWTO Members inrespect ofproducers ofphonograms as
wellasartists andperformers, asprovided inArticle 14oftheTRIPS Agreement.
3. Please explain whether andhowItalyprotects against thedirect andindirect reproduction of
phonograms asrequired byTRIPS Article 14.2, including bydigital transmission inthecontext with
respect toeachcategory ofsubject matters.
Article 72oftheLawNo.633/1941 provides (according totheEECDirective No.92/100)
that"theproducer ofaphonographic record orofanyother similar contrivance forreproducing sounds
orvoices shall havetheexclusive right, fortheperiod andunder theconditions laiddown inthe
following articles, toreproduce, bywhatever duplication process, anddistribute thesaidrecord or
contrivance ofhisproduction". Moreover, according tothesamearticle, (paragraph 2)"Theproducer
ofaphonogram hasalsotheexclusive righttolease andloans, aswellastheright toauthorize the
lease andloanofthephonograms ofhisproduction. Thisright isnotexhausted withthesaleor
distribution, inwhatever form, ofthephonograms".
According toArticle 73ofthesame law,"Theproducer ofthephonographic record orofany
similar contrivance forreproducing sounds orvoices, aswellastheartists whointerpreted orperformed
theinterpretation ortheperformance recorded orreproduced onthesaidcontrivances, shallbeentitled,
independentlyoftherightsofdistribution,leaseandloanpertainingtothem,toremunerationinexchange
fortheutilization, forpurposes ofgain,oftherecord orofthesimilar contrivance through broadcasting,IP/Q/ITA/1
Page3
cinematography, television, inpublic dancing parties, inpublic premises andontheoccasion ofany
further public utilization ofthesaidcontrivances.
Theproducershallbeentitledtoexercisetheaforesaidright,andshallshareouttheremuneration
among theartists whoacted, interpreted orperformed thework".
Theartists whointerpret orperform andtheproducer ofthephonogram which wasutilized
shallbeentitled -according toArticle 73bis-tofairremuneration alsowhen theutilization asper
Article 73wasnoteffected forpurposes ofgain.
According toArticle 80oftheLaw No.633/1941 (asmodified byArticle 13ofthe
DlgsNo.685/1994) artists whointerpret orperform shallhavetheexclusive power, regardless of
anyremuneration towhich theymaybeentitled fortheirliveartistic performances:
(a) toauthorize recording oftheirartistic performances;
(b) toauthorize reproduction, whether direct orindirect, oftherecordings oftheirartistic
performances;
(c) toauthorize broadcasting byairandcommunication tothepublic, inwhatever form
andmanner, oftheirliveartistic performances, unless thelatter were intended for
broadcasting byradio ortelevision orarealready thesubject orarecording for
broadcasting purposes;
(d) toauthorize distribution oftherecordings oftheirartistic performances;
(e) toauthorize lease orloanoftherecordings oftheirartistic performances andofthe
reproduction thereof:
TheRome Convention hasbeenratified byItaly; onJune1995, Italyconfirmed some ofthe
reservations already notified, asforeseen bytheConvention; among these, thereservation relating
toArticle 5.3oftheBerne Convention. Consequently, Italyisprotecting phonograms onthebasis
ofthecriterion of"fixation", thiscriterion being considered more clearandrigorous compared tothe
othertwocriterionsofnationalityandpublication.Itshouldalsoberememberedthat,withLawNo.406
of5May1975, Italyratified theGeneva Convention fortheProtection ofProducers ofPhonograms
against Unauthorized Duplication oftheirPhonograms.
[Follow-up question]
Does thereproduction right forphonograms under Italian lawinclude reproductions made
frombroadcasts, aswellasthedigital transmission ofbothtemporary andpermanent reproductions?
Under Article 13oftheItalian Copyright LawNo.633/1941, theauthors 'rightofreproduction
"hasforitsobject themultiplication ofcopies ofthework byanymeans". Thewording therefore
applies toallkinds ofreproduction, including those made from broadcasting orbydigital means.
Article 72ofthelawspecifically provides thesame ruleforthereproduction ofphonograms.
Thespecific issue astowhether theright ofreproduction alsoincludes digital temporary
reproduction isstillopenandunder discussion atnational andinternational level.
4. Please explain whether andhowItalyprovides fullretroactive protection toworks, phonograms
andperformances fromother WTO Members, asrequired byTRIPS, Articles 9.1,14.6and70.2, eachIP/Q/ITA/1
Page4
ofwhich incorporate byreference orrelyupon Berne Article 18.Please givethedatebacktowhich
suchprotection extends withrespect toeachcategory ofsubject matters.
Article 18oftheBerne Convention reserves theprotection toworks which atthemoment of
itscoming intoforce havenotyetfallen intothepublic domain inthecountry oforigin through the
expiry ofthetermofprotection. Paragraph 2ofthesame article excludes thatawork thathasfallen
intothepublic domain inthecountry where theprotection isclaimed, could beprotected anew on
thebasis ofthenewterms oftheminimal duration oftheprotection provided forbytheBerne
Convention.
Article 70oftheTRIPS Agreement recalls Article 18oftheBerne Convention sofarasthe
works, phonograms andperformances inconformity withtheestablished criteria areconcerned, thus
implying thattheprotection mustbegiven toallworks which arenotfallen intothepublic domain,
astotheneighbouring rights.
Article 10.2ofEEC Directive No.93/98 establishes however thatthenewlongduration of
theprotection there provided forinfavour ofcopyright andneighbouring rights "applies toanywork
andsubject matter which isprotected inatleastoneoftheMember States atthedateof1July1995".
Article 17oftheLawof26February 1996, No.52(integrated byArticle 9oftheD.L. of
22June1996, nowbeing converted intolaw), actuating suchadirective, afterhaving increased the
terms ofduration oftheprotection ofcopyright andneighbouring rights, inconformity withtheEEC
Directive, hasextended thenewterms previously intoforce (Article 17.2), provided always thatin
application ofsuchterms theaforesaid works andrightfallintoprotection atthedateof29June1995
(Article 9.2oftheD.L. No.331/1996): thismeans thattheprotection forneighbouring rights goes
backto30June1945 andto30June1926 forcopyright.
5. Please explain thecriminal andcivilremedies available forcopyright infringements andthe
extent towhich theyfullyimplement theobligations inTRIPS Articles 41,46,50and61.Inresponse,
please specify, interalia,whether andhowthese remedies mayinclude theseizure, forfeiture, and
destruction ofinfringing articles andequipment usedtomake infringing articles andequipment used
tomake theinfringing articles, asrequired byTRIPS Articles 46and61,andthemanner inwhich
thegrant ofcivilprovisional relief isprovided inaccordance withTRIPS Article 50.Additionally,
please explain whether andhow thesystem formeasuring civil damages complies with
TRIPS Articles 41.1and46.1, andhowremedies andpenalties awarded initalian civilandcriminal
cases provide thedeterrent effect required byTRIPS Articles 41and61.
These aspects willbeexamined inthesecond halfof1997.
6. Please explain howtheItalian copyright lawprovides protection forcompilations orcollections
ofunprotected materials, asrequired byTRIPS Article 10.
Thecompilations ofdataorother materials that,duetotheirselection ordisposition oftheir
contentsconstituteintellectualcreations,findprotection,intermsof"copyright"undertheEECDirective
onthelegalprotection ofdatabases, approved inMarch 1996.
Italian law,atthemoment, isprotecting thecollection, oranthologies ofvarious works already
"perse"protected (Articles 3and38,andsubsequent oftheLawNo.633/1941) inconformity with
whatisprovided forbyArticle 2.5oftheBerne Convention.IP/Q/ITA/1
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Italy, however, isobliged toimplement theEECDirective within theterms therein indicated
(December 1997) andthusimplementation ofArticle 10oftheTRIPS Agreement shall, ofcourse,
beinconformity withwhatisprovided forintheaforesaid EEC Directive.