Companies active in the food sector will soon find it harder to promote their products when targeting children or young people.

Until recently, the Italian legal framework (both, statutory as well as regulatory) lacked of provisions specifically regulating ‘green claims’.

In recent times both public opinion as well as health care professionals flagged intense concern about the increasing trend among teenagers to undergo breast enhancing surgery for no other reason than that of surrendering to the psychological pressure deriving from role model stereotypes.

Direct Marketers have now a better understanding about the rules governing their promotional strategies performed on ‘new media’ and targeted to users of social networks or of messaging services.

In Italy ‘prize contests’ fall into the category of sales promotions, governed by a special Regulation and subject to supervision and control of the Ministry for Economic Development.

Since the late 80ies it’s always been almost impossible to advertise tobacco products throughout the European Union.

Since May 2012 Italy has implemented two important EU Directives in the sector of electronic communication networks and services.

In less than two decades the practice known as ambush marketing has resulted in a major threat to IP rights. All events, be it entertainment or sports, followed by a significant audience have to cope with those smart guys, not willing to afford costly financial involvement as sponsors, but keen on benefiting from the event's resonance.

Recently the Italian Corte di Cassazione (last instance court) - 3rd Civil Chamber issued a decision (judgment no. 22884 of October 30th, 2007) in a lawsuit, which is generally considered as the leading case on tobacco companies’ liabilities with respect to damages caused to smokers’ health.

During the last months newspapers and on-line sources have been crowded with reports about legislators’ plans to police the Internet for a number of different reasons and through various legal means.

Uproar in the Italian public opinion as the Senate, while debating the annual financial law, approved - on November 16th, 2007, by a two vote’s majority - an amendment (Section 53-bis) to the bill’s original draft text, meant to enforce collective protection for consumers by introducing a class action system.

Italian Statute Law regulates ownership and protection of immaterial rights primarily through a specific Copyright Act as well as through the Code of Industrial Property Rights.

A report by the Global Advertising Lawyers’ Alliance shows a significant increase of the practice of ambush marketing in relation to events receiving broad media coverage.

Italian lawmakers periodically take on the issue of Internet regulation for gaining consensus in the public opinion and come up with proposals for rules, meant to tighten control on on-line content.

According to a recent study conducted by the Scuola Superiore di S. Anna in Pisa, by year 2025 twenty million Italians are likely to suffer from obesity and nutritional disorder.

In recent years, the Data Protection Authorities in several member states of the European Union have voiced their concerns to a number of leading search engines.

Recently a First Instance Court in Firenze was called to deal with interesting IP issues in a lawsuit between two publishing houses.

Recently a First Instance Court in Firenze was called to deal with interesting IP issues in a lawsuit between two publishing houses.

The increasing – not to say booming – popularity of cloud computing has induced the Italian DPA to provide businesses processing personal data in the context of their activities with specific guidelines for the correct handling of such data when making use of cloud services.

The general principle is that the use of a person's image without his/her consent is basically prohibited (this even more if such use is performed for marketing or – in general - commercial purposes).