Topographies of integrated circuits

According to the legislation of the Republic of Belarus topography of an integrated circuit is a spatial geometric arrangement, fixed on a material carrier, of all the components of an integrated circuit and the connections between them.

Topography of an integrated circuit is granted legal protection in the Republic of Belarus on the basis of its registration effected by the patent authority of the Republic of Belarus – the National Center of Intellectual Property. The right to topography of an integrated circuit is protected by the State and certified by a certificate.

A protected topography provides the creator or any other right holder with the exclusive rightto use the topography at his own discretion, in particular, by manufacturing and distributing integrated circuits embodying the topography. No one may use the topography without having obtained the authorization of the creator or any other right holder.

The term of the exclusive right to use the topography is 10 years.

The exclusive right to use the topography begins on the earliest of the following dates:

  • the date of first use of the topography;
  • the date of registration of the topography in the Register of Topographies of Integrated Circuits.

The application for registration of the topography is filed with the Patent Authority. The application may be filed within a period not exceeding two years from the date of first.

In the course of the examination of the application the Patent Authority checks that requisite documents are all present and that they comply with the prescribed requirements.

The legal protection extends solely to topographies of integrated circuits that are original. Topography of an integrated circuit is deemed original if it is the result of creative activity of the creator. It is deemed original unless proved otherwise. Topographies of integrated circuits that consist of a combination of elements that are well-known among the creators of topographies or manufacturers of integrated circuits at the time of their creation will not enjoy the legal protection.