Rome, April 10 (LaPresse) – A dispute over trademarks and licenses has erupted regarding the Sanremo Festival. The Rai Legal Office has issued a warning to the Municipality of Sanremo, prohibiting the granting of the Festival trademarks to other broadcasters. "The Festival trademarks," the Rai legal team asserts, "are linked to the Rai format and under no circumstances can they be used by other TV broadcasters." The warning follows a decision by the City Council, which authorized the municipal legal consultant to represent the administration in court against appeals filed by Rai and Je srl, seeking to annul the municipal council’s decision made last March. According to a statement from the Municipality of Sanremo, the council's decision, in compliance with a ruling by the Liguria Regional Administrative Court (TAR), set out the criteria for selecting the partner for organizing and broadcasting the Italian Song Festival for the 2026, 2027, and 2028 editions (with a potential two-year extension). For the first time in history, the Municipality of Sanremo, which owns the Sanremo Festival and Italian Song Festival trademarks, has been required to issue a public call for expressions of interest for organizing the event. The conflict centers around the ownership of the trademarks.
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