Summary

This article provides an overview of the Lay-out Designs of Integrated Circuits Protection Act which entered into force on 16 March 1999. The Act defines the lay-out design of an integrated circuit and provides criteria for the protection of lay-out designs of integrated circuits and their term of protection, the rights of the author of a lay-out design of an integrated circuit, the persons entitled to file registration applications, and the rights of the proprietor of a lay-out design of an integrated circuit, the bases for expiry thereof and the procedure for contestation of the latter’s rights. The Act establishes a registration system and grants the right to dispute compatibility with the protection criteria to persons concerned. The author also examines the international agreements and corresponding EC legislation which were taken into account in the drafting of the Act.
Finally, the author explains concepts related to the field of layout designs of integrated circuits which, in the author’s opinion, are often used incorrectly in the media.