As we reported last year, Italian anti-piracy activities have overlooked the book piracy problem. The Prime Minister's decree establishing the standing national Anti-Piracy Committee in 1993 omitted books from the list of products the committee was set up to protect. The new anti-piracy legislation finally included increases in the current unacceptably low penalties for book piracy. The AIE is seeking further amendments to the bill in Parliament to improve various provisions to benefit Italian, U.S., and other foreign publishers. While the increased efforts of the Italian enforcement authorities, and the increased resources devoted to piracy, have been helpful and welcome, it is clear that no major change can be effected unless infringers are subject to heavy fines, and where appropriate, imprisonment.
Several questions remain unresolved.
It must not be permitted to wait until 1998 when the EU Database Directive becomes effective. Italy should be subject to an OCR to ensure this result and should be elevated to the Priority Watch List in 1997.