Integrated circuit layout design protection

Semiconductor protection or topography protection is the protection of three-dimensional structures ( topographies ) of semiconductor products.

History

In the U.S., a copyright protection of a similar three-dimensional structure of semiconductors by the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984, SCPA is created. The property right is not mentioned in the U.S. topography, mask work and not registered with the Patent Office but the United States Copyright Office. Although it could also foreign applicants claim the protection of the SCPA, but this right should apply only until 8 November 1987. The deadline was extended for applicants from the EC until 31 May 1988.

After this time, was the principle of material reciprocity, which means protection only on reciprocity, that is, foreign applicants have only access to the U.S. semiconductor right when their homeland U.S. applicants granted a semiconductor protection. Therefore, in the United States to continue to topographies, "mask works" protect, they were forced abroad, also to regulate the protection of semiconductor structures by law. Japan made this the beginning of the Act Concerning the Circuit Layout of a Semiconductor Integrated Circuit of 1985 in the EC should adopt the Directive on the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products 87/54/EEC of the Council of the EC in December 1986, a harmonization within the EC can be achieved.

On 26 May 1989, the Treaty on the Protection of Intellectual Property in Respect of Integrated Circuits was adopted ( Treaty on Intellectual Property in Respect of Integrated Circuits, IPIC Convention, WIPO document IPIC/DC/46 ) at a diplomatic conference in Washington, but was ratified by Egypt and Saint Lucia. However, the TRIPS Agreement provides for intellectual property from the application of this Convention.

Halbleiter-/Topographienschutzgesetze

The national implementation of Directive 87/54/EEC via semiconductor protection laws and their implementing rules:

• In Germany with the law on the protection of topographies of microelectronic semiconductor products (semiconductor protection law - HalblSchG ) and to further issued semiconductor protection regulation - HalblSchV.
• In Austria, the Federal Law on the protection of topographies of microelectronic semiconductor products (semiconductor protection law - HlSchG ) dated June 23, 1988, Federal Law Gazette 1988/372, as amended by the Semiconductor Protection Act Amendment 1996 ( Federal Law Gazette 1996/428; further change Federal Law Gazette 2001 / 143), and in the semiconductor protection regulation ( HlSchV ) September 12, 1988, Federal Law Gazette 1988/528 as amended by Federal Law Gazette 1996/439
• In Switzerland, the topography Act shall apply from 9 October 1992 ( Systematic Collection of Federal Laws - SR 231.2 ) and the topography Regulation of 26 April 1993, as amended on 29 November 1993