Topographies of Semiconductor Products

– Act on the Protection of Topographies for Semiconductor Products (1992:1685), as amended up to Act (2020:543).
– Decree of 1992.

Conditions of Protection

Filing: is not possible.

Applicant: for the purpose of the application of the Act for the Protection of Topographies of Semiconductor Products a physical person who is a national of, or has his habitual residence in, a country which is a member of the World Trade Organization or who is a national of, or has his habitual residence in, Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic territories, New Caledonia and territories attached thereto, or Wallis and Futuna Islands be treated as if he were a national of a State member of the European Union. The same applies to Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Montserrat, Dutch Antilles, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, territories belonging to Saint Helena (Ascension, Tristan da Cunha), South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. A legal person originating in any of those countries and territories and which, in addition, conducts a business activity there, shall, for the purposes of the application of the Act on the Protection of Topographies for Semiconductor Products, be treated as if that legal person conducted that activity in a State member of the European Union.

Rights of protection: the owner of the right in a topography is the physical person who created the topography, provided that he is a national of, or has his habitual residence in, a State member of the European Union and that the next provisions do not apply. The right in a topography which has been created by an employee in the course of his employment belongs to the employer, unless there is an agreement to the contrary and provided that the employer is a physical person who is a national of, or has his habitual residence in, a State member of the European Union or a legal person who conducts business activities in such a state.

Duration: ten years from the year of the first commercial utilization of the topography.