As per ruling published on June 15th 2026, Business Specialized Sector of Milan Court rejected the €3 million damages claim filed against a multinational oil and gas company. The company was represented by Fabio Boscariol De Roberto and Danilo Martucci of Tonucci & Partners. The litigation concluded with the dismissal of the opposing party’s claims by upholding the counterclaim related to the ownership of the technical drawings and know-how.
The dispute derived from a company branch transfer completed in 1989. The plaintiff company contested the multinational’s takeover of its historic name and technical documentation. The Court ruled out unfair competition and illegal name appropriation, recognizing that the know-how and technical drawings handed over after the transfer belong to the company assisted by Tonucci & Partners prohibiting the other party to use them.
The ruling represents an important illustration regarding the transfer of business units, confirming that ownership of the transferred know-how and technical documentation belongs to the transferee even after many years and that reference to a historic name in commercial communications does not constitute appropriation when describing a circumstance that actually and really occurred.
The appeal deadline is pending.
