About 20,000 structures, located in over 30 countries, have been protected by seismic isolation (SI) and other anti-seismic (AS) systems and devices. Their use is increasing everywhere, but it is strongly influenced by earthquake lessons and the features of the design rules used. All seismically isolated structures located in areas hit by violent earthquakes survived them without any significant damage. As to design rules, SI is considered as an additional safety measure in some countries, while, in others, the codes allow to partly take into account the reduction of the seismic forces acting on the superstructure that is caused by the use of this technique. This paper summarizes the application of the AS systems in the most active countries, by devoting particular attention to SI of Italian buildings, stresses the conditions for the correct use of this technique and mentions recent initiatives of the Italian Parliament to ensure it and to possibly extend it to the high risk chemical plants.