- Regulations on the Protection of Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits (Adopted at the 36th executive meeting of the state council on March 28, 2001, promulgated by decree No. 300 of the state council of the People’s Republic of China on april 2, 2001, and effective as of the date of october 1, 2001)
Regulations on the Protection of Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits
(Adopted at the 36th executive meeting of the state council on march 28, 2001, promulgated by decree no. 300 of the state council of the people’s republic of china on april 2, 2001, and effective as of the date of october 1, 2001)
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 These Regulations are formulated in order to protect the exclusive rights of layout-designs of integrated circuits, encourage innovation of integrated circuit technologies and promote development of science and technology.
Article 2 For the purposes of these Regulations,
(1) “integrated circuit” means semiconductor integrated circuit, that is, a product, in its intermediate or final form, in which semiconductor is used as its chip, the elements, at least one of which is an active element, and some or all of the interconnections are integrally formed in and/or on the chip and which is intended to perform an electronic function;
(2) “layout-design of integrated circuit”(hereinafter referred to as layout-design) means the three-dimensional disposition of the elements, at least one of which is an active element, and some or all of the interconnections of an integrated circuit, or such a three-dimensional disposition prepared for an integrated circuit intended for manufacture;
(3) “right holder of layout-design” means the natural person, the legal person or any other organization that, according to these Regulations, is entitled to the exclusive right of layout-design;
(4) “reproduction” means the act of reproducing a layout-design or of reproducing an integrated circuit in which the layout-design is incorporated;
(5) “commercial exploitation” means the act of importing, selling or providing in any other form, for commercial purposes, a protected layout-design, an integrated circuit in which the layout-design is incorporated, or an article incorporating such an integrated circuit.
Article 3 Any layout-design created by a Chinese natural person, legal person or other organization shall be accorded the exclusive rights of layout-design in accordance with these Regulations.
Any layout-design created by a foreigner shall, where it is first commercially exploited in the territory of the People’s Republic of China, be accorded the exclusive rights of layout-design in accordance with these Regulations.
Any layout-design created by a foreigner shall be accorded the exclusive rights of layout-design in accordance with these Regulations, if the country to which the foreigner belongs has concluded an agreement with China to protect layout-design or the country to which the foreigner belongs and China are both parties to an international treaty concerning the protection of layout-design.
Article 4 Any layout-design under protection shall be original, that is, the layout-design is the intellectual achievement of the creator himself, and it is not commonplace among creators of layout-designs and manufacturers of integrated circuit at the time of its creation.
Where a layout-design under protection consists of several commonplace layout-designs, the combination of these layout-designs taken as a whole shall be in compliance with the conditions referred to in the preceding paragraph.
Article 5 Protection to layout-designs under these Regulations shall not extend to ideas, processing methods, operations and mathematics concepts.
Article 6 The intellectual property administration department of the State Council is responsible for the relevant administrative work concerning the exclusive rights of layout-designs in accordance with these Regulations.
Chapter II Exclusive Rights of Layout-designs
Article 7 The right holder of a layout-design shall enjoy the following exclusive rights:
(1) reproducing the protected layout-design in its entirety or for any creative part thereof;
(2) commercially exploiting the protected layout-design, an integrated circuit in which the layout-design is incorporated, or an article incorporating such an integrated circuit.
Article 8 The exclusive rights of layout-designs take effect upon their registration with the intellectual property administration department of the State Council.
Any unregistered layout-design shall not be protected under these Regulations.
Article 9 The exclusive rights of layout-designs shall belong to their creators, except as otherwise provided for in these Regulations.
Where a layout-design is created according to the will and under the charge of a legal person or other organization, which shall also bear responsibility therefrom, such legal person or other organization shall be the creator.
Where a layout-design is created by a natural person, the natural person shall be the creator.
Article 10 Where a layout-design is created by the cooperating efforts of two or more natural persons, legal persons or other organizations, the ownership of the exclusive rights shall be agreed upon by the co-operators; in absence of such an agreement or explicit agreement, the exclusive rights shall be owned jointly by the co-operators.
Article 11 Where a layout-design is created in execution of a commission, the ownership of the exclusive rights shall be agreed upon between the commissioning and the commissioned parties; in absence of such an agreement or explicit agreement, the exclusive rights shall be owned by the commissioned party.
Article 12 The protection term of the exclusive rights of layout-designs shall be 10 years, counting from the date of filing the application for registration or from the date on which it is first commercially exploited anywhere in the world, whichever expires earlier. However, no matter whether it has been registered or commercially exploited, a layout-design shall no longer be protected under these Regulations at the expiration of 15 years from the date of the completion of its creation.
Article 13 Where the exclusive rights of a layout-design belong to a natural person, the exclusive rights shall, after the death of the natural person and within the term of protection as provided for in these Regulations, be transferred in accordance with the provisions of the Succession Law.
Where the exclusive rights of a layout-design belong to a legal person or other organization, the exclusive rights shall, after the change or the termination of the legal person or other organization and within the term of protection as provided for in these Regulations, be owned by the legal person or other organization which succeeds to its rights and obligations; where there is no such a legal person or other organization to succeed to its rights and obligations, the layout-design shall enter into public ownership.
Chapter III Registration of Layout-design
Article 14 The intellectual property administration department of the State Council is responsible for the registration of layout-designs and the acceptance of applications for layout-design registration.
Article 15 Where a layout-design for which registration is applied relates to the security or other vital interests of the State and is required to be kept secret, the application shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State.
Article 16 Where the layout-design registration is applied for, the following shall be submitted:
(1) the application form for layout-design registration;
(2) the copy or drawing of the layout-design;
(3) where the layout-design has been commercially exploited, the sample of the integrated circuit incorporating the layout-design;
(4) other materials required by the intellectual property administration department of the State Council.
Article 17 For any layout-design, if no application for registration has been filed with the intellectual property administration department of the State Council within two years from the date on which it is first commercially exploited anywhere in the world, it shall no longer be registered by the intellectual property administration department of the State Council.
Article 18 Where, after preliminary examination of an application for layout-design registration, it is found that there is no reason for rejection, the intellectual property administration department of the State Council shall have it registered, issue the registration certificate and make an announcement.
Article 19 Where an applicant for layout-design registration is not satisfied with the decision of the intellectual property administration department of the State Council rejecting the application, it or he may, within three months from the date of receipt of the notification, request the intellectual property administration department of the State Council to make a reexamination. The intellectual property administration department of the State Council shall, after the reexamination, make a decision and notify the applicant for layout-design registration. Where the applicant for layout-design registration is still not satisfied with the decision of reexamination of the intellectual property administration department of the State Council, it or he may, within three months from the date of receipt of the notification, bring a lawsuit before the people’s court.
Article 20 Where, after the registration of a layout-design has been granted, the intellectual property administration department of the State Council finds that the registration does not comply with the provisions of these Regulations, it shall have it revoked, notify the right holder of the layout-design and make an announcement. Where the right holder of the layout-design is not satisfied with the decision of the intellectual property administration department of the State Council revoking the layout-design registration, it or he may, within three months from receipt of the notification, bring a lawsuit before the people’s court.
Article 21 Until the announcement of a layout-design registration, staff members of the intellectual property administration department of the State Council have the duty to keep its contents secret.
Chapter IV Exploitation Of Exclusive Rights Of Layout-Designs
Article 22 The right holder of a layout-design may have its or his exclusive rights assigned or license other persons to use its or his layout-design.
Where the exclusive rights of a layout-design are assigned, the parties concerned shall conclude a written contract and have it registered with the intellectual property administration department of the State Council. The intellectual property administration department of the State Council shall make an announcement. The assignment of the exclusive rights of a layout-design shall take effect as of the date of registration.
Where a layout-design is licensed to be used by other persons, the parties concerned shall conclude a written contract.
Article 23 A layout-design may be used without the authorization of its right holder and without any payment of remuneration under any of the following circumstances:
(1) reproducing the protected layout-design for private purposes or for the sole purpose of evaluation, analysis, research or teaching;
(2)creating a layout-design with originality on the basis of the evaluation or analysis of the protected layout-design referred to in the preceding paragraph;
(3)reproducing or commercially exploiting a layout-design made independently by oneself that is identical with a layout-design of another person.
Article 24 For any protected layout-designs, integrated circuits in which the layout-designs are incorporated, or articles incorporating such integrated circuits, so long as they have been put on the market by the right holders of the layout-designs or with their authorization, anyone may exploit them for commercial purposes without the authorization of, nor payment of remuneration made to, the right holders of the layout-designs.
Article 25 In situations of national emergency, or in any extraordinary state of affairs, or for the purposes of public interests, or where it is determined according to law by the people’s court or the supervision and inspection department for unfair competition that there is unfair competition practice on the part of the right-holder of layout-design and there is a need to give remedy, the intellectual property administration department of the State Council may grant a non-voluntary license to exploit the layout-design to remedy the unfair competition practice.
Article 26 Any decision made by the intellectual property administration department of the State Council granting a non-voluntary license to exploit a layout-design shall be notified promptly to the right holder of the layout-design.
In the decision granting a non-voluntary license to exploit a layout-design, the scope and duration of the exploitation shall be specified on the basis of the reasons justifying the granting. The scope shall be limited to non-commercial use for public purposes or to the remedy required as determined according to law by the people’s court or the supervision and inspection department for unfair competition of the right holder of layout-design.
Where the circumstances leading to such non-voluntary license cease to exist and are unlikely to recur, the intellectual property administration department of the State Council shall, after reviewing upon the request of the right holder of layout-design, make a decision to terminate the non-voluntary license.
Article 27 Any natural person, legal person or other organization that is granted non-voluntary license to exploit a layout-design shall not have an exclusive right to exploit it and shall not have the right to authorize exploitation by any other person.
Article 28 Any natural person, legal person or other organization that is granted non-voluntary license shall pay to the right holder of layout-design a reasonable exploitation fee, the amount of which shall be fixed by both parties through consultation; where the parties fail to reach an agreement, the intellectual property administration department of the State Council shall make an adjudication.
Article 29 Where the right holder of a layout-design is not satisfied with the decision of the intellectual property administration department of the State Council granting a non-voluntary license to exploit the layout-design, or where the right holder of a layout-design, the natural person, legal person or other organization that is granted non-voluntary license is not satisfied with the adjudication made by the intellectual property administration department of the State Council regarding the fee payable for exploitation, it or he may, within three months from the date of receipt of notification, bring a lawsuit before the people’s court.
Chapter V Legal Liability
Article 30 Except as otherwise provided in these Regulations, without the authorization of the right holder of a layout-design, anyone committing any one of the following acts must stop the infringing act, and shall be liable for compensation for the damage:
(1) reproducing the whole or any original part of a protected layout-design;
(2) importing, selling or providing in any other form, for commercial purposes, any protected layout-design, integrated circuit in which the layout-design is incorporated, or article incorporating such an integrated circuit.
The amount of compensation for the damage caused by the infringement of the exclusive rights of a layout-design shall be assessed on the basis of the profits which the infringer has made from the infringement or the losses which the right holder of the layout-design has suffered, including the reasonable expenses of the infringed party for stopping the infringing act.
Article 31 Where a dispute arises as a result of the exploitation of a layout-design without the authorization of the right holder of the layout-design, that is, the infringement of the exclusive rights of the layout-design, it shall be settled through consultation by the parties concerned. Where they are not willing to or fail to settle the dispute through consultation, the right holder of the layout-design or any interested party may bring a lawsuit before the people’s court, or request the intellectual property administration department of the State Council to handle the matter. When the intellectual property administration department of the State Council handling the matter considers that the infringement is established, it may order the infringer to stop the infringing act immediately, and confiscate or destroy the infringing products or articles. If the party concerned is not satisfied, he may, within 15 days from the date of receipt of the notification, bring a lawsuit before the people’s court in accordance with the Administration Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China; if, after the expiration of the time limit, the infringer fails to bring a lawsuit and refuses to stop the infringing act, the intellectual property administration department of the State Council may apply to the people’s court for compulsory enforcement. The intellectual property administration department of the State Council may, upon the request of the parties concerned, mediate on the amount of compensation for the damage caused by the infringement of the exclusive rights of a layout-design; if the mediation fails, the parties concerned may bring a lawsuit before the people’s court in accordance with the Civil Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China.
Article 32 Where the right holder of a layout-design or an interested party has evidence to prove that another person is committing, or will soon commit, an infringement of its or his exclusive rights and that if such an infringement is not prevented from occurrence in time, it is likely to cause irreparable harm to its or his legitimate rights, it or he may, before bring a lawsuit, make an application to the people’s court for the adoption of measures to order the suspension of relevant acts and the preservation of property.
Article 33 Where anyone commercially exploits an integrated circuit in which a protected layout-design is incorporated or an article incorporating such an integrated circuit without knowing or without reasonable grounds to be expected to know at the time when it or he obtains the integrated circuit or the article that they incorporated an unlawfully reproduced layout-design, it or he shall not be deemed as infringing the exclusive rights of a layout-design.
After having received definite notice that the integrated circuit or the article incorporates unlawfully reproduced layout-design, the person referred to in the preceding paragraph may continue the commercial exploitation with respect to the stock on hand or ordered before the notice, but shall be liable to pay reasonable remuneration to the right holder of the layout-design.
Article 34 Where any staff member of the intellectual property administration department of the State Council, in the work of layout-design administration, neglects his duty, abuses his power or commit illegalities for personal gains or by fraudulent means shall be investigated for criminal liability in accordance with law if a crime is constituted, if the case is not serious enough to constitute a crime, he shall be given administrative sanction in accordance with law.
Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions
Article 35 When applying for layout-design registration and going through other formalities, fees shall be paid as prescribed. The standard thereof shall be fixed by the price administration department of the State Council and the intellectual property administration department of the State Council, and shall be announced by the intellectual property administration department of the State Council.
Article 36 These Regulations shall enter into force as of October 1, 2001.
中华人民共和国国务院令
第３００号
《集成电路布图设计保护条例》已经２００１年３月２８日国务院第３６次常务
会议通过，现予公布，自２００１年１０月１日起施行。
总理 朱镕基
二００一年四月二日
集成电路布图设计保护条例
第一章 总则
第一条 为了保护集成电路布图设计专有权，鼓励集成电路技术的创新，促进科
学技术的发展，制定本条例。
第二条 本条例下列用语的含义：
（一）集成电路，是指半导体集成电路，即以半导体材料为基片，将至少有一个
是有源元件的两个以上元件和部分或者全部互连线路集成在基片之中或者基片之上，
以执行某种电子功能的中间产品或者最终产品；
（二）集成电路布图设计（以下简称布图设计），是指集成电路中至少有一个是
有源元件的两个以上元件和部分或者全部互连线路的三维配置，或者为制造集成电路
而准备的上述三维配置；
（三）布图设计权利人，是指依照本条例的规定，对布图设计享有专有权的自然
人、法人或者其他组织；
（四）复制，是指重复制作布图设计或者含有该布图设计的集成电路的行为；
（五）商业利用，是指为商业目的进口、销售或者以其他方式提供受保护的布图
设计、含有该布图设计的集成电路或者含有该集成电路的物品的行为。
第三条 中国自然人、法人或者其他组织创作的布图设计，依照本条例享有布图
设计专有权。
外国人创作的布图设计首先在中国境内投入商业利用的，依照本条例享有布图设
计专有权。
外国人创作的布图设计，其创作者所属国同中国签订有关布图设计保护协议或者
与中国共同参加有关布图设计保护国际条约的，依照本条例享有布图设计专有权。
第四条 受保护的布图设计应当具有独创性，即该布图设计是创作者自己的智力
劳动成果，并且在其创作时该布图设计在布图设计创作者和集成电路制造者中不是公
认的常规设计。
受保护的由常规设计组成的布图设计，其组合作为整体应当符合前款规定的条件。
第五条 本条例对布图设计的保护，不延及思想、处理过程、操作方法或者数学
概念等。
第六条 国务院知识产权行政部门依照本条例的规定，负责布图设计专有权的有
关管理工作。
第二章 布图设计专有权
第七条 布图设计权利人享有下列专有权：
（一）对受保护的布图设计的全部或者其中任何具有独创性的部分进行复制；
（二）将受保护的布图设计、含有该布图设计的集成电路或者含有该集成电路的
物品投入商业利用。
第八条 布图设计专有权经国务院知识产权行政部门登记产生。
未经登记的布图设计不受本条例保护。
第九条 布图设计专有权属于布图设计创作者，本条例另有规定的除外。
由法人或者其他组织主持，依据法人或者其他组织的意志而创作，并由法人或者
其他组织承担责任的布图设计，该法人或者其他组织是创作者。
由自然人创作的布图设计，该自然人是创作者。
第十条 两个以上自然人、法人或者其他组织合作创作的布图设计，其专有权的
归属由合作者约定；未作约定或者约定不明的，其专有权由合作者共同享有。
第十一条 受委托创作的布图设计，其专有权的归属由委托人和受托人双方约定；
未作约定或者约定不明的，其专有权由受托人享有。
第十二条 布图设计专有权的保护期为１０年，自布图设计登记申请之日或者在
世界任何地方首次投入商业利用之日起计算，以较前日期为准。但是，无论是否登记
或者投入商业利用，布图设计自创作完成之日起１５年后，不再受本条例保护。
第十三条 布图设计专有权属于自然人的，该自然人死亡后，其专有权在本条例
规定的保护期内依照继承法的规定转移。
布图设计专有权属于法人或者其他组织的，法人或者其他组织变更、终止后，其
专有权在本条例规定的保护期内由承继其权利、义务的法人或者其他组织享有；没有
承继其权利、义务的法人或者其他组织的，该布图设计进入公有领域。
第三章 布图设计的登记
第十四条 国务院知识产权行政部门负责布图设计登记工作，受理布图设计登记
申请。
第十五条 申请登记的布图设计涉及国家安全或者重大利益，需要保密的，按照
国家有关规定办理。
第十六条 申请布图设计登记，应当提交：
（一）布图设计登记申请表；
（二）布图设计的复制件或者图样；
（三）布图设计已投入商业利用的，提交含有该布图设计的集成电路样品；
（四）国务院知识产权行政部门规定的其他材料。
第十七条 布图设计自其在世界任何地方首次商业利用之日起２年内，未向国务
院知识产权行政部门提出登记申请的，国务院知识产权行政部门不再予以登记。
第十八条 布图设计登记申请经初步审查，未发现驳回理由的，由国务院知识产
权行政部门予以登记，发给登记证明文件，并予以公告。
第十九条 布图设计登记申请人对国务院知识产权行政部门驳回其登记申请的决
定不服的，可以自收到通知之日起３个月内，向国务院知识产权行政部门 请求复审。
国务院知识产权行政部门复审后，作出决定，并通知布图设计登记申请人。布图设计
登记申请人对国务院知识产权行政部门的复审决定仍不服的，可以自 收到通知之日起
３个月内向人民法院起诉。
第二十条 布图设计获准登记后，国务院知识产权行政部门发现该登记不符合本
条例规定的，应当予以撤销，通知布图设计权利人，并予以公告。布图设计权利人对
国务院知识产权行政部门撤销布图设计登记的决定不服的，可以自收到通知之日起３
个月内向人民法院起诉。
第二十一条 在布图设计登记公告前，国务院知识产权行政部门的工作人员对其
内容负有保密义务。
第四章 布图设计专有权的行使
第二十二条 布图设计权利人可以将其专有权转让或者许可他人使用其布图设计。
转让布图设计专有权的，当事人应当订立书面合同，并向国务院知识产权行政部
门登记，由国务院知识产权行政部门予以公告。布图设计专有权的转让自登记之日起
生效。
许可他人使用其布图设计的，当事人应当订立书面合同。
第二十三条 下列行为可以不经布图设计权利人许可，不向其支付报酬：
（一）为个人目的或者单纯为评价、分析、研究、教学等目的而复制受保护的布
图设计的；
（二）在依据前项评价、分析受保护的布图设计的基础上，创作出具有独创性的
布图设计的；
（三）对自己独立创作的与他人相同的布图设计进行复制或者将其投入商业利用
的。
第二十四条 受保护的布图设计、含有该布图设计的集成电路或者含有该集成电
路的物品，由布图设计权利人或者经其许可投放市场后，他人再次商业利用的，可以
不经布图设计权利人许可，并不向其支付报酬。
第二十五条 在国家出现紧急状态或者非常情况时，或者为了公共利益的目的，
或者经人民法院、不正当竞争行为监督检查部门依法认定布图设计权利人有不正当竞
争行为而需要给予补救时，国务院知识产权行政部门可以给予使用其布图设计的非自
愿许可。
第二十六条 国务院知识产权行政部门作出给予使用布图设计非自愿许可的决定，
应当及时通知布图设计权利人。
给予使用布图设计非自愿许可的决定，应当根据非自愿许可的理由，规定使用的
范围和时间，其范围应当限于为公共目的非商业性使用，或者限于经人民法院、不正
当竞争行为监督检查部门依法认定布图设计权利人有不正当竞争行为而需要给予的补
救。
非自愿许可的理由消除并不再发生时，国务院知识产权行政部门应当根据布图设
计权利人的请求，经审查后作出终止使用布图设计非自愿许可的决定。
第二十七条 取得使用布图设计非自愿许可的自然人、法人或者其他组织不享有
独占的使用权，并且无权允许他人使用。
第二十八条 取得使用布图设计非自愿许可的自然人、法人或者其他组织应当向
布图设计权利人支付合理的报酬，其数额由双方协商；双方不能达成协议的，由国务
院知识产权行政部门裁决。
第二十九条 布图设计权利人对国务院知识产权行政部门关于使用布图设计非自
愿许可的决定不服的，布图 设计权利人和取得非自愿许可的自然人、法人或者其他组
织对国务院知识产权行政部门关于使用布图设计非自愿许可的报酬的裁决不服的，可
以自收到通知之日起３个月内向人民法院起诉。
第五章 法律责任
第三十条 除本条例另有规定的外，未经布图设计权利人许可，有下列行为之一
的，行为人必须立即停止侵权行为，并承担赔偿责任：
（一）复制受保护的布图设计的全部或者其中任何具有独创性的部分的；
（二）为商业目的进口、销售或者以其他方式提供受保护的布图设计、含有该布
图设计的集成电路或者含有该集成电路的物品的。
侵犯布图设计专有权的赔偿数额，为侵权人所获得的利益或者被侵权人所受到的
损失，包括被侵权人为制止侵权行为所支付的合理开支。
第三十一条 未经布图设计权利人许可，使用其布图设计，即侵犯其布图设计专
有权，引起纠纷的，由当事人协商解决；不愿协商或者协商不成的，布图 设计权利人
或者利害关系人可以向人民法院起诉，也可以请求国务院知识产权行政部门处理。国
务院知识产权行政部门处理时，认定侵权行为成立的，可以责令侵权 人立即停止侵权
行为，没收、销毁侵权产品或者物品。当事人不服的，可以自收到处理通知之日起１
５日内依照《中华人民共和国行政诉讼法》向人民法院起诉；侵 权人期满不起诉又不
停止侵权行为的，国务院知识产权行政部门可以请求人民法院强制执行。应当事人的
请求，国务院知识产权行政部门可以就侵犯布图设计专有权 的赔偿数额进行调解；调
解不成的，当事人可以依照《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》向人民法院起诉。
第三十二条 布图设计权利人或者利害关系人有证据证明他人正在实施或者即将
实施侵犯其专有权的行为，如不及时制止将会使其合法权益受到难以弥补的损害的，
可以在起诉前依法向人民法院申请采取责令停止有关行为和财产保全的措施。
第三十三条 在获得含有受保护的布图设计的集成电路或者含有该集成电路的物
品时，不知道也没有合理理由应当知道其中含有非法复制的布图设计，而将其投入商
业利用的，不视为侵权。
前款行为人得到其中含有非法复制的布图设计的明确通知后，可以继续将现有的
存货或者此前的订货投入商业利用，但应当向布图设计权利人支付合理的报酬。
第三十四条 国务院知识产权行政部门的工作人员在布图设计管理工作中玩忽职
守、滥用职权、徇私舞弊，构成犯罪的，依法追究刑事责任；尚不构成犯罪的，依法
给予行政处分。
第六章 附则
第三十五条 申请布图设计登记和办理其他手续，应当按照规定缴纳费用。缴费
标准由国务院物价主管部门、国务院知识产权行政部门制定，并由国务院知识产权行
政部门公告。
第三十六条 本条例自２００１年１０月１日起施行。