The Indian government passed an act to protect layout designs of semiconductor integrated circuits. The act aims to promote innovation in integrated circuits as layout designs cannot be protected by patents due to incremental innovation. To register a layout design, it must be original, not previously commercialized, and distinctive. The registration process involves filing an application which is examined and open for opposition. A registered layout design receives 10 years of rights from first commercialization or registration, including rights to use, reproduce, distribute, sell, and import the design. Infringement liability may be civil and/or criminal.

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INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
ndian government has passed an Act to protect the layout-designs of semiconductor
integrated circuits. The objective of the law is to promote the progress of innovation in
integrated circuits. The layout designs of integrated circuits may not be protected under the
patent regime as the level of innovation in the field is incremental and that would not be
sufficient to satisfy the stringent patent requirements.
Requirements
A layout design has to satisfy the following requirements to be eligible for registration:
a. Original
A layout-design is considered to be original if it is the result of its creator's own intellectual
efforts and is not commonly known to the creators of layout-designs and manufacturers of
semiconductor integrated circuits at the time of its creation. In other words, to be original, a
layout design should be independently created and not generally known.
b. Not commercialized
To be eligible for registration, a layout design should not have been commercialized within India
or in a convention country before the date of application for registration. The law provides for a
grace period of twenty four months within which period from first commercialization, a person
can file an application for registration and his application will not be rejected.
c. Distinctive
A layout design has to be inherently distinctive or capable of being distinguished. It means that
the design should be different from existing designs in order to be eligible for registration.
Process of Registration
To register a layout design, an application has to be filed before the Registrar in a prescribed
manner along with the prescribed fee. The Registrar will then examine the application and
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either reject or accept it with or without amendments or modifications1
. After acceptance, the
application will be advertised and kept open for opposition2
. In case of an opposition, the
Registrar will give the applicant an opportunity to respond and will grant a hearing if required.
On successfully passing the opposition, the application will be registered and a certificate of
registration will be issued.
Term
The term of a registered layout design is ten years from the date of first commercialization or
from the date of registration3
.
Rights
The registration of a layout design gives the owner the following rights:
1. Right to use;
2. Right to reproduce;
3. Right to distribute;
4. Right to sell; and
5. Right to Import the layout design
The rights subsist irrespective of whether the layout design is incorporated into an article or
not. Protection of layout designs accrues only by registration and in no other manner.
Infringement
A person is liable for infringement of a layout design4
if he exercises any of the rights of the
owner of the layout design without authorization or permission. Use of the layout design for
1
The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout – Design Act, 2000, Section 8 : Application for registration.
2
Section 11 of the Act. : Opposition to Registration
3
The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout- Design Act, 2000, Section 15
4
The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout – Design Act, 2000, Section 56.

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analysis, scientific evaluation, teaching or research is not considered to be infringement.
Liability for infringement may be civil and/or criminal.
Suggested Further Reading
Semi conductors and Integrated circuits