Commercial Partnerships and Ownership of Resulting Inventions:A Decision of the Milan Court of Appeal

Commercial collaborations frequently give rise to new technical or creative outcomes. When this happens, disputes often emerge as to who owns the intellectual property rights in those results.
In litigation, the answer almost invariably depends on the content of the parties’ agreements — and, just as importantly, on what those agreements fail to regulate.

A recent judgment of the Milan IP Court of Appeal (Judgment no. 68/2026 of 14 January 2026), provides a clear illustration of this principle.