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IPR Attorney / Semiconductor Layout-Designs

60 — Semiconductor Layout-Designs · Filed. Registered. Defended.

Register the layout, not just the chip.

A semiconductor integrated circuit layout-design — the arrangement of transistors, circuitry elements and connecting lead wires on a chip — can be registered as its own sui generis IP right, separate from patent or copyright. Registration is handled by the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Registry (SICLDR) under the SICLD Act, 2000.

Start a Filing → See the Process
1 MASK LAYOUT 2 LEAD WIRES

FIG. 7 — Mask layout & lead wires

Governing LawSICLD Act, 2000 & Rules
Administered BySICLD Registry, New Delhi
Term of Protection10 years from filing or first commercial use
Filing ModeOnline e-filing available

What Qualifies

Original, distinctive, and not yet commercially exploited

A layout-design must be the creator's own intellectual effort, must be distinctive and capable of distinguishing itself from other layout-designs, and must not have been commercially exploited anywhere in India or in a convention country before the filing date.

Only the layout-design itself is protected under the Act — a printed circuit board (PCB) is not a semiconductor integrated circuit and cannot be registered under this framework.

Who Can Apply

  • The creator of the layout-design, whether an Indian national or a foreign national whose country extends reciprocal rights to Indian applicants
  • Applicants without a principal place of business in India must maintain a place of service in India
  • Filing is made on Form LD-1, with three sets of drawings or photographs of the mask layout

How a Layout-Design Proceeds

From filing to registration certificate

1

Filing

Form LD-1 is filed with three sets of drawings or photographs describing the mask layout.

2

Acceptance

The Registrar accepts, refuses, or accepts the application with modifications.

3

Advertisement

An accepted application is advertised within 14 days of acceptance.

4

Opposition

Any opposition may be filed within 3 months of advertisement, with a counter-statement due within 2 months of that.

5

Registration

If unopposed, or once opposition is resolved, a Registration Certificate is issued for a 10-year term.

Frequently Asked

Before you write in

§1

Can I register a chip layout that's already on sale?

+
No — the layout-design must not have been commercially exploited anywhere in India or in a convention country before filing, so registration needs to happen ahead of market launch.
§2

Does this protect the circuit's function?

+
No. The Act protects the specific spatial arrangement of the layout, not the underlying circuit function or the ideas behind it.
§3

Is a PCB covered by this Act?

+
No — a printed circuit board is expressly outside the scope of the SICLD Act, which applies only to semiconductor integrated circuit layout-designs.
§4

How long does protection last?

+
10 years, counted from the date of filing the registration application or the date of first commercial exploitation anywhere in India or a convention country, whichever is earlier.
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Send the mask layout drawings and the date of any commercial exploitation — timing is critical for this registration.

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