Constitutional affairs legal affairs

Workshop: Legal aspects of free and open source software 
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doing so, the region takes into account the total cost of ownership of each solution, 
the exit costs, but also the potential interest that other administrations could see in 
reusing the software and its interoperability potentials. 

 
If the region decides to use proprietary software, it must justify the reasons for such 
a choice. 

 
The region makes available - as free software - the computer programs that are 
developed on the basis of its own specifications and that are entirely financed by 
public funds. 
3.2.2 Results 
This initiative was acclaimed by FOSS advocates, not however by the national government. 
Indeed, the Italian government deemed that by adopting such law, the Piedmont region 
had exceeded its authority. The national government therefore lodged a claim before the 
Constitutional Court, raising two main grounds for annulment. The Constitutional Court 
issued a decision on 23 March 2010
122
. 
The first ground for annulment, based on the fact that copyright law is a matter that is 
reserved to the central state, was upheld by the court. The corresponding illegal provision 
was declared illegal. 
The second ground for annulment was more specifically aiming at the pro-FOSS provisions 
of the regional law. The Italian government alleged that any provision favouring FOSS 
adoption would be in conflict with the national laws on competition, as it would discriminate 
against the proprietary software industry
123
. 
This argument was not upheld by the Constitutional Court, which answered the argument 
as follows: 
 “The choice is not an exclusive one, but just preferential and requires a 
comparative evaluation, as is confirmed by the reference to the possibility to use 
proprietary formats […] under the condition that in such case the Region shall 
provide motives of its choice [...]. 
Finally,  it  must  be  once  more  reminded  that  the  concepts  of  free  software  and 
software with inspectable code are not notions concerning a given technology, brand 
or product, instead they express a legal characteristic. At the end of the day, what 
discriminates between free and proprietary software is the different legal 
arrangement of interest (licence) upon which the right of using the program is 
based; and the choice concerning the adoption of one or the other contractual 
regime belongs to the will of the user. 
It follows that the damage to competition feared by the counsel of the State with 
regard to the law in question, is not envisaged”
124
. 
Marco Ciurcina, who was at that time president of the ASSOLI (Associazione per il Software 
Libero), assessed that the Constitutional Court’s decision, which was welcomed by the 
Association
125
, would make it easier for other administrations to adopt similar laws
126
.  
This premonition proved to be right, as in 2012, the national Digital Administration Code 
(Codice dell'amministrazione digitale
127
) was modified twice in order to establish a 
preference for FOSS in the public administrations. 
                                                 
122
 Sentenza 122/2010, Corte Costituzionale della Repubblica Italiana, available at 
http://www.cortecostituzionale.it/actionPronuncia.do
. 
123
 According to Roberto Di Cosmo, this argument would have been inspired by proprietary software lobby. See R.
 
D
I 
C
OSMO
, “Constitutional Court in Italy rules out anti-free-software lobbyist arguments...”, 30 March 2010, 
available at 
http://www.dicosmo.org/MyOpinions/index.php/2010/03/30/100-constitutional-court-in-italy-rules-
out-anti-free-software-lobbyist-arguments
. 
124
 As translated by C.
 
P
IANA 
in “Italian Constitutional Court gives way to Free-Software friendly laws”, op. cit. 
125
  “A  landmark  decision  of  the  Italian  Constitutional  Court:  granting  preference  to  free  software  is  lawful”, 
available at 
http://www.softwarelibero.it/corte-costituzionale-favorisce-softwarelibero_en
. 
126
 Joinup News of 30 March 2010, “IT: Constitutional court says administrations can favour open source”, 
available at https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/news/it-constitutional-court-says-administrations-can-favour-open-
source. 

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Policy Department C: Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs 
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Article 68, part 1 and 2 of the Code read as follows: 
“1) In accordance with the principles of economy and efficiency, return on investment, 
reuse and technological neutrality, public administrations must procure computer programs 
or parts thereof as a result of a comparative assessment of technical and economic aspects 
between the following solutions available on the market: 
a) develop a solution internally; 
b) reuse a solution developed internally or by another public administration; 
c) adopt a free/open source solution; 
d) use a cloud computing service; 
e) obtain a proprietary license of use; 
f) a combination of the above. 
1-bis) For this purpose, before procuring, the public administration (in accordance 
with the procedures set out in the Legislative Decree 12 April 2006, n. 163) makes a 
comparative assessment of the available solutions, based on the following criteria: 
a) total cost of the program or solution (such as acquisition price, 
implementation, maintenance and support); 
b) level of use of data formats, open interfaces and open standards which are 
capable of ensuring the interoperability and technical cooperation between the 
various information systems within the public administration; 
c) the supplier's guarantees on security levels, on compliance with the rules on 
personal data protection, on service levels [,] taking into account the type of 
software obtained. 
1-ter) In the event that the comparative assessment of technical and economic 
aspects, in accordance with these criteria of paragraph 1-bis, demonstrates the 
impossibility to adopt an already available solution, or a free/open source solution, 
as well as to meet the requirements, the procurement of paid-for proprietary 
software products is allowed. The assessment referred to in this subparagraph shall 
be made according to the procedures and the criteria set out by the Agenzia per 
l'Italia Digitale, which, when requested by interested parties, also expresses 
opinions about the compliance with them. 
2) In the preparation or acquisition of computer programs, public administrations, 
whenever possible, must adopt solutions which are: modular; based on functional 
systems disclosed as stated by Article 70; able to ensure the interoperability and 
technical cooperation; able to allow the representation of data and documents in 
multiple formats, including at least one open-ended (unless there are justifiable and 
exceptional needs). 
2-bis) The public administrations shall promptly notify the Agenzia per l'Italia 
digitale the adoption of any computer applications and technological and 
organizational practices they adopted, providing all relevant information for the full  
of the solutions and the obtained results, in order to favour the reuse and the wider 
dissemination of best practices”
 128
. 
Even though the provisions of § 1-bis are not unambiguous and need interpretation, and 
although the role of the Agenzia per l’Italia digitale could have been further detailed, it is 
clear from § 1-ter that the procurement of FOSS must be preferred to proprietary software. 
Not only would procuring FOSS comply with the order of priority as established in the law, 
but it would also allow administrations to reuse and share software amongst them, which 
seems to be the final goal of the Italian lawmaker. 
                                                                                                                                                            
127
 Available at 
http://www.digitpa.gov.it/amministrazione-digitale/CAD-testo-vigente
. 
128
  As  translated  by  S.
 
A
LIPRANDI
 & C.
 
P
IANA
 in “FOSS in the Italian public administration: fundamental law 
principles”, IFOSSLR, 2012, vol.5, issue 1, available at 
http://www.ifosslr.org/ifosslr/article/view/84.
 

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