SEVENTH ANNUAL WIPO FORUM ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICES AND OTHER RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS IN THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD) COUNTRIES Geneva, September 14th and 15th, 2009 Isabella Flajban Ministry of Economic Development Directorate General for Combating Counterfeiting - Italian Patent and Trademark Office

COUNTERFEITING is a global problem…

Global impact of COUNTERFEITING gives rise to important economic consequences, especially in these hard times… causes significant risks to consumers is strongly related to other criminal activities, such as trade in narcotics, money laundering and terrorism

COUNTERFEITING is a clandestine activity so it is very hard to obtain accurate statistics and to devise adequate fighting strategies…

The problem of its potential impacts is far greater for SMEs SMEs are undoubtedly less well-resourced; SMEs cannot afford to employ lawyers to represent them in Courts; SMEs are not able to make use of in-house legal teams; Often SMEs do not understand that it is essential to properly register their Intellectual Property assets; SMEs do not know that patents and trademarks provide protection only in geographically-limited markets

Italy is the European Country with the greatest number of SMEs in the manufacturing industry ( SMEs) Over 25% of the total amount of Italian enterprises workers are employed in the manufacturing sector; About 93% of the Italian exporting enterprises are small enterprises; In 2008 the value of the Italian exports rose by 0,3%, remaining essentially unchanged; In light of the global economic contraction, Italian export performance in China has been remarkable: it increased by 1.3% in the first five months of 2009 (18.9% in May alone). This is largely due to the success of the mechanical sector;

So we can state that… the Italian economy is notably driven by the manufacture of high- quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises that export abroad

What initiatives have been taken by the Public Administration to support Italian SMEs?

COMBATING COUNTERFEITING: a new role for the Ministry of Economic Development… Due to the Legislative Decree n.112/08 the Ministry of Economic Development was given the tasks of the dismissed High Commissioner to combat counterfeiting and piracy

The new organization of the Ministry of Economic Development (Presidential Decree n. 197 of 28th November 2008) established a dedicated structure: the Directorate General for Combating Counterfeiting – U.I.B.M. COMBATING COUNTERFEITING: a new role for the Ministry of Economic Development…

The new Directorate: what tasks? DPR n. 197 of 28th November 2008 and also …. promotes anti-counterfeiting policy; is the secretariat of the National Anti-counterfeiting Council; has a dedicated call center and ; receives notification of anti-counterfeiting activities; monitors anti-counterfeiting methods and systems; supports Italian enterprises abroad; collects data held by national and international competent authorities, by trade and business associations, and manages the resulting database; carries out analysis and reports on the phenomenon and proposes regulations; cooperates with other Directorates General, with the Police Forces, the Customs Agency and other Governments engaged in the fight against counterfeiting; is engaged in internal and external communication and in the organization of events; identifies policies for the promotion of industrial property, maintains relations with EU and international organizations in industrial property matters;

inventions and utility models design and models, European, international and national patents; national trademarks, European and international opposition to the registration of trademarks; administration of the patent granting procedure and patent registrations, secretariat of the Board of Appeal. technical protection …. Italian Patent and Trademark Office (U.I.B.M.) is placed directly under the new Directorate General The new Directorate: what tasks?

Protection: Italian Patent and Trademark Office (U.I.B.M.) Registering a trademark, a patent, a design enables to use it exclusively To find out more …. visit our WEB SITE

A NEW SERVICE FROM AUGUST 2008 … CALL CENTER FROM MONDAY TO FRIDAY 8.30 A.M to P.M. IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEND : OR FAX

Dedicated to business abroad… 13 IPR Desks were established by the Ministry of International Trade, now the Ministry of Economic Development, in 10 Countries. According to the 2004 Finance Act, the desks are in charge of advising and monitoring on the protection of trademarks and indications of origin and of giving legal assistance to Italian enterprises abroad, especially in the sectors where the problem of counterfeiting is more significant. These structures, located at the Italian Trade Commission offices, have the task to provide information about the local industrial/intellectual property system and to monitor the market with reference to the problems of counterfeiting.

Combating Counterfeiting Public-private partnership The Directorate General is holding talks with Other Public Administrations Enterprises and Associations Consumers Fashion Internet/Web Medicines Tobacco Agro and Food Industry

Information Campaigns … Ministry of the Interior

Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico Direzione generale per la lotta alla contraffazione – U.I.B.M. Divisione VI- Assistenza e supporto alle imprese destinatarie anticontraffazione Tel Fax Thank you for your attention!