From Milan to the Metaverse: Simona Lavagnini on IP Law, Innovation, and Italy’s Global Role by Simona Lavagnini

From Milan to the Metaverse: Simona Lavagnini on IP Law, Innovation, and Italy’s Global Role, Hosted by Zafira Hudani, Reporter at Northon’s Media PR & Marketing Ltd, United Kingdom. In The Global IP Matrix Magazine Issue 23, Simona Lavagnini, Founding Partner at LGV Avvocati in Milan, shares invaluable insights with Zafira Hudani, Reporter at Northon's Media PR & Marketing Ltd, United Kingdom, exploring how innovation and technology are reshaping intellectual property law. From the impact of the Unitary Patent Court to digital brand protection, AI-generated content, and Italy’s ongoing fight to protect its cultural heritage, Simona highlights the strategic legal shifts defining the global IP landscape today.

UPC & Life Sciences: New Court, New Challenges

Simona explains that life sciences clients rely heavily on both freedom-to-operate assessments and swift litigation mechanisms. With the UPC rollout, Milan’s new chamber has already become a crucial venue supported by Italy’s strong tradition of successful urgent measures Digital Commerce: Brand Identity Under Pressure

As e-commerce expands internationally, brand owners face heightened exposure and complexity. Simona stresses the importance of rigorous clearance strategies and highlights how AI-powered monitoring tools help identify infringement risks across global marketplaces.

AI & Copyright: Innovation Meets Uncertainty

Simona notes that in industries like music and gaming, companies are rapidly adopting AI, yet no consistent legal framework exists to govern ownership or authorship of AI-assisted works. This creates heightened risk around copyright, trade secrets, and liability. Her firm helps clients understand how copyright applies across the entire AI process, ensuring rights are protected and avoiding misuse of protected works, such as deepfakes or near-identical outputs.

Protecting Italy’s Cultural Identity

Italy’s rich heritage often intersects with IP law. Simona highlights a recent case involving the Marble of Vitalino (Marmo), where her team defended its unique cultural value and prevented market dilution. Such actions show how identity, geography, and history can play a critical role in legal protection.

Imitation & ‘Italian-Sounding’ Goods

Simona explains that online markets have increased imitations and unfair competition, especially in the fashion and food sectors. Even when not infringing a specific trademark, misleading branding can cause damaging consumer confusion.

Trust & Technology: Accuracy First

With AI now widely used for quick information sourcing, Simona warns that lawyers must verify accuracy before relying on it: If reliability is compromised, both reputation and legal strategy suffer in future cases.

Conclusion

Simona Lavagnini is at the forefront of Europe’s evolving IP legal ecosystem, navigating the intersection of tradition, innovation, and global commerce. Her insights reveal not only how Italy continues to play a vital role in urgent IP enforcement but also how lawyers must adapt to new technologies, digital threats, and cultural protection priorities.

Read the full article in The Global IP Matrix Issue 23, a must-read for IP lawyers, brand guardians, innovators, and policy shapers staying ahead of legal transformation across Europe and beyond.

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