The 11th edition of Italy’s Anti-Counterfeiting Week (“Settimana Anticontraffazione”), organized by the Directorate-General for Industrial Property – Italian Patent and Trademark Office of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Direzione Generale per la Proprietà Industriale – Ufficio Italiano Brevetti e Marchi - MIMIT), takes place from 19 to 23 October 2026. The annual initiative brings together institutions, businesses and other stakeholders to promote industrial property protection, strengthen efforts to prevent and combat counterfeiting, and raise awareness of the risks and damage associated with counterfeit goods.
Throughout the week, a series of discussions will address emerging challenges and developments related to counterfeiting, providing opportunities to exchange experiences, share initiatives and explore approaches to protecting businesses, consumers and legitimate markets.
As part of the programme, Marco Musumeci, in charge of UNICRI’s Anti-Counterfeiting Programme, will present a new operational guide developed in collaboration with MIMIT to help Italian businesses respond to infringements of registered trademarks.
Practical guidance for businesses, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
The Operational Guide for Italian Businesses in Cases of Industrial Property Rights Infringement (Guida operativa per le imprese italiane in caso di violazioni dei diritti di Proprietà Industriale), is the result of a joint project promoted and coordinated by MIMIT, through its Directorate-General for Industrial Property – Italian Patent and Trademark Office, and implemented in collaboration with UNICRI.
The initiative aims to strengthen businesses’ capacity to prevent, monitor and address infringements of industrial property rights, with particular attention to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Despite their contribution to innovation, manufacturing excellence and local economies, SMEs may lack the legal, technical and financial resources needed to protect their industrial property rights effectively, particularly when infringements involve digital channels and advanced technologies.
The new publication provides practical guidance on the steps businesses can take when they discover or suspect an infringement of a registered trademark. It addresses key stages of the response process, from collecting preliminary evidence and preparing complaints to cooperating with law enforcement during investigations, assessing civil and criminal remedies, and navigating judicial proceedings.
By explaining the available legal options, their respective advantages and potential challenges, the guide seeks to help businesses make informed decisions about how best to protect their rights.
Designed as an accessible operational resource, the publication includes separate sections on civil and criminal proceedings.
The guide draws on a 2023 publication developed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) under the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), which provides guidance to intellectual property rights holders on reporting intellectual property crime.
Strengthening protection against counterfeiting
The publication represents the first step in a broader initiative to provide Italian businesses with practical tools to safeguard their industrial property rights. Two additional operational guides, focusing on industrial designs and patents, are planned.
Through this collaboration, MIMIT and UNICRI seek to support businesses, particularly SMEs, in responding more effectively to industrial property infringements and strengthening their capacity to protect innovation, competitiveness and legitimate economic activity.
For more information about Anti-Counterfeiting Week 2026 and the full programme of events, visit the [Italian Patent and Trademark Office: https://uibm.mise.gov.it/index.php/it/
