The international law firm Baker McKenzie has been hired by the Holy See to safeguard its intellectual property rights, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
The news emerged as a statement by the Vatican warned it would "stop situations of illegality that may be discovered", for example T-shirts and tea towels.
It said: "The secretary of state will undertake systematic surveillance aimed at monitoring the way in which the image of the Holy Father and the emblems of the Holy See are used, intervening with opportune measures when necessary."
The Vatican offers it's own range of merchandise (pictured above) on its Vatican Gift website, including rosaries, crucifixes, icons and statues.
In an era of the internet and mass-production, the unauthorised use of the pope's images for commercial reasons has become easier than ever before.
In setting out its intention to tackle such incidents, the Vatican did not state whether people buying illegal papal-themed souvenirs could risk fines or legal action.
Nick Kounoupias, the founder of an intellectual property consultancy in London was quoted by the Associated Press as saying: "The pope's image rights are no different from those of any other famous celebrity and so it's not surprising that the Vatican is giving notice that it will protect its (intellectual property) rights as necessary.
"What will be interesting to see, however, is how vigorously these rights are pursued, given who the IP owner is."