Brief Introduction of Registration of Integrated Circuits Layout Design　　　

     For the purpose of protection of exclusive rights on Integrated Circuits Layout Design, the State Council of China promulgated the "Protection Regulations of Integrated Circuits Layout Design" on April 2, 2001, which came into force on October 1, 2001.

　　Said Regulations set integrated circuits layout designs as protection subject, in detail, they refer to the three-dimensional disposition of the two or more 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 the manufacture of an integrated circuit.

　　The term of protection of the exclusive right of layout-design shall be 10 years counted from the date of filing an application for registration or from the date on which it was 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 15 years after the date of the completion of its creation.

　　The exclusive right of layout design establishes after registration at the IP Administrative Organization (the State Intellectual Property Office) of the State Council. Layout design not registered does not enjoy protection under the Regulations. Any layout-design, if no application for its registration has been filed with the intellectual property administration department of the State Council within two years from the date on which it was first commercially exploited anywhere in the world, shall no longer be registered by the intellectual property administration department of the State Council.

　　To obtain registration of integrated circuit layout design in China, a foreign applicant should entrust a Chinese agency (like our firm) to file the application at the IP Administrative Organization of the State Council.

1, the application stage: 
(1) The layout-design registration application form; 
(2) The layout of the copy or drawing; 
(3) The layout-design has been put into commercial use, and integrated circuit incorporating the layout-design samples; 
(4) intellectual property administration department under the State Council, other materials. 
2, the review stage: 
Layout-design registration application for a preliminary examination found no cause for rejection by the intellectual property administration department of the State Council shall register, issue the registration certificate and announce it. 3, follow-up procedures: 
 Applicant for registration of layout-design intellectual property administration department of the State Council rejected his application for registration satisfied with the decision may, from the date of receipt of the notification within 3 months, to the intellectual property administration department of the State Council a request for reexamination. Intellectual property administration department of the State Council shall, after reexamination, make a decision and notify the layout-design registration of the applicant. Applicant for registration of layout-design intellectual property administration department of the review of the decision is still dissatisfied, he may from the date of receipt of the notification within 3 months people's court. 
Layout after the registration of intellectual property administration department of the State Council found that the registration does not comply with requirements of the Ordinance and should be revoked, notify the layout-design right holders, and announce it. Layout-design right holders of intellectual property administration department of the State Council satisfied with the decision to withdraw the registration of layout-design may be from the date of receipt of the notification within 3 months people's court.