Provisions related to Italian copyright law (diritto d'autore) are found in Law no. 633 of 22 April 1941 (along with its various amendments). Certain fundamental provisions are also found in the Italian Civil Code of 1942, Arts. 2575–2583.
Copyright law in Italy has not changed much since the first enactment of these provisions. There have been amendments to Law no. 633 to incorporate specific works such as computer programs and databases, or to add or alter user exceptions, but generally Italian lawmakers have been reluctant to institute any major or fundamental reforms.[1]
Italian copyright law is based strongly on authors' rights. Exceptions to authors' exclusive rights are limited – there is no provision equivalent to fair use or fair dealing — and are generally interpreted restrictively by the courts.[1]