Italian Counsel for Media and Entertainment Law Firms
In short
- We act as Italian counsel for media and entertainment law firms in the UK, the US and Europe.
- Typical matters: clearance of Italian clips and archive, co-productions and tax credit, music, live and theatre, copyright disputes, AI.
- Short advice notes in English on fixed fees; larger matters on rates agreed in advance.
- Your client stays your client: we work through you and do not approach your clients independently.
- Based in Rome, close to the Ministry of Culture, RAI and the Italian collecting societies.
When a client of yours shoots, releases, licenses or performs in Italy, the questions become Italian: what the Italian copyright exceptions allow, who owns the rights in an Italian film, what a co-production needs to qualify for Italian incentives, how the collecting societies work. DANDI is a boutique firm in Rome and Genova that works exclusively in copyright, intellectual property and entertainment law, and we can answer those questions for you quickly and in English.
What we handle for your clients
Clip, archive and content clearance
Italy has no fair use. We review clips from Italian films, archive footage, music and images clip by clip under the Italian copyright exceptions, and deliver a short advice note with a schedule for each item. See our page on clip and archive clearance in Italy.
Film and TV co-productions
Co-production structures under Italy’s bilateral treaties and the European Convention, nationality of the work, Italian tax credit, chain of title and PRCA registrations. See our guides on Italy-Balkans co-productions and the Italy-Canada treaty.
Music, live and theatre
Recording, publishing and sync agreements, touring and production contracts, stage adaptations, and the Italian collecting societies for authors, producers and performers.
Copyright, image rights and disputes
Infringement claims, cease and desist letters, online takedowns, image and personality rights, moral rights and settlements in Italy.
AI and Italian copyright
The human authorship rule and the AI clauses introduced in Italy by Law 132/2025, for contracts, productions and catalogues.
How we work with you
- Conflict check first. Send us the parties’ names and we confirm before you share anything else.
- Clear quotes. Fixed fees for advice notes, quoted upfront; rates agreed in advance for anything larger.
- In English. Advice, drafts and calls in English; Italian documents explained, not just translated.
- Your relationship. We report to you, bill as you prefer and do not contact your client unless you ask us to.
- On the ground in Rome. Meetings and filings with the Ministry of Culture, RAI and the collecting societies, coordinated with your team.
Who you will work with
Claudia Roggero has practised entertainment and copyright law since 2003, with an LL.M. in Entertainment Law from the University of Westminster and in-house experience in London. She focuses on film and TV, international co-productions and clearance, and has written on moral rights for Entertainment Law Review.
Donato Di Pelino is a copyright and intellectual property lawyer who leads the firm’s music and visual arts practice. He advises musicians, labels, painters, sculptors, video artists and performers, from contracts and licensing to the questions AI raises for creators, and writes critical texts on contemporary art.
Together they have written on AI and Italian copyright for Entertainment Law Review and Diritto.it, and co-founded MOSSA, a contemporary art residency in Genova. Both work directly on every matter, with no hand-off to juniors.
FAQ
Do you work as local counsel for foreign law firms?
Yes. We act as Italian counsel for media and entertainment law firms abroad, in English, reporting to the instructing firm.
How quickly can you confirm conflicts and quote?
We respond within 24 hours on business days. A conflict check needs only the names of the parties; we quote once we have seen the material.
Do you offer fixed fees?
Yes, for advice notes on clearance and other defined questions. Larger matters are handled on rates agreed in advance.
Will you contact our client directly?
No, unless you ask us to. We work through the instructing firm.
Can you help with Italian co-productions and the tax credit?
Yes. We advise on co-production structures, nationality requirements, the Italian tax credit and PRCA registrations, alongside the Italian producer or executive producer.
| Topic | Link |
|---|---|
| Clip and archive clearance in Italy | Service page |
| Areas of practice | Overview |
| Independent producers | Service page |
| Italian Copyright Act (Law 633/1941) | Normattiva |
| DG Cinema and Audiovisual, Ministry of Culture | cinema.cultura.gov.it |
Get in touch
→ Email: claudiaroggero@dandi.media
→ Book a call: claudiaroggero.youcanbook.me
→ WhatsApp: +39 345.717.14.66