Original software automatically enjoys protection under Italian copyright law, and may be filed in a special register as proof of authorship. Software may patented upon condition that it contains at least one algorithm that is innovative from the technical point of view.

The texts, graphics, photos and contents in general of a web site qualify for protection under Italian copyright law if they are minimally original and creative.

Methods for e-commerce as such do not qualify for protection under Italian copyright law, but any software that is part of the method may be protectable (see also “What of protection is available for intellectual property rights in software?”).