Patent information in Italy

A review of the provision of information about Italian patents, starting from the historical background up to the future developments including the proposed EPO search report is provided. The organization of the UIBM (Italian Patents and Trademarks Office) has been described with partial reference to the article published in 1990 “The Italian Patent Office: Evolution and Proposals for Reform” by Roberto Malaman in this journal, and others. Information and documentation included in the Italian official databases and archives and international online databases have been described with reference to coverage and main features.