ACT ON THE LAYOUT-DESIGNS OF SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

Article 1(Purpose) #

The purpose of this Act is to contribute to the sound development of the national economy through the promotion of industries and technologies relating to semiconductors by protecting the rights of persons who create a layout-design for a semiconductor integrated circuit and by encouraging the fair use of such a layout-design.

[This Article Wholly Amended on Dec. 26, 2008]

Article 2(Definitions) #

The terms used in this Act are defined as follows: <Amended on Jan. 16, 2024; Oct. 1, 2025>

1. The term "semiconductor integrated circuit" means a semi-finished or finished product that has been manufactured to function as an electronic circuit through a process of integrating circuit elements, including one or more active elements, and wires connecting such elements onto the surface of any semiconductor or insulating material, or into semiconductor material, in an inseparable form;

2. The term "layout-design" means a design of laying out various circuit elements and wires connecting such elements in two or three dimensions for manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit;

3. The term "creation" means a person's activities of making a unique layout-design as a result of the person's intellectual efforts. In such cases, activities of making a layout-design are deemed to be creation, if the layout-design as a whole is unique, although it is composed of a combination of elements of an ordinary layout-design;

4. The term "use" means any of the following activities:

a. Reproduction of a layout-design;

b. Manufacturing of a semiconductor integrated circuit based on a layout-design;

c. Transfer, lease, display (limited to cases for the purpose of transfer or lease), or import of a layout-design, a semiconductor integrated circuit manufactured according to a layout-design, or a product manufactured by applying a semiconductor integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as "semiconductor integrated circuit or similar product");

5. The term "layout-design right" means a right created when the creation of a layout-design is registered with the Minister of Intellectual Property pursuant to Article 21(1).