New law sends clear signal to counterfeiters
Italy’s new leather law came into force on October 24.
The new law seeks to prevent manufacturers and brands from presenting materials or products as being made from leather when they are in fact made from synthetic alternatives.
Following a long, detailed campaign, led by national tanning industry association, UNIC, Italy’s council of ministers approved the new law at the end of May. Following this, it published a formal decree in its official journal of record in June. The new law came into force 120 days later, which was October 24.
Speaking about Italy’s new leather law earlier this year, UNIC president, Gianni Russo, told World Leather: “The new regulation gives us a strong and clear legal weapon that we can use to protect our material and our companies. Moreover, it sends out a signal to counterfeiters and it protects consumers, making sure they know what they are buying.”
He said the incorrect use of leather terms had been “at the core of unfair competition for too long”.
Now public authorities in charge of trade law enforcement will be able to intervene to stop this unfair competition and UNIC has said it will be quick to flag up any “suspicious cases” to the authorities, as well as going directly to court itself to demand the end of activities it suspects of contravening the new law.
Image: Giuseppe Zanotti.
