Prohibition of registration of certain layout-designs
Section 7 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000 deals with prohibition of registration of certain layout-designs. A layout-design-- (a) which is not original; The Act came into force on 01 May 2004.
(1) A layout-design--
(a) which is not original; or
(b) which has been commercially exploited anywhere in India or in a convention country; or
(c) which is not inherently distinctive; or
(d) which is not inherently capable of being distinguishable from any other registered layoutdesign,
shall not be registered as a layout-design:
Provided that a layout-design which has been commercially exploited for not more than two years from the date on which an application for its registration has been filed either in India or in a convention country shall be treated as not having been commercially exploited for the purposes of this sub-section.
(2) A layout-design shall be considered to be original if it is the result of its creator's own intellectual efforts and is not commonly known to the creators of layout-designs and manufacturers of semiconductor integrated circuits at the time of its creation:
Provided that a layout-design consisting of such combination of elements and interconnections that are commonly known among creators of layout-designs and manufacturers of semiconductor integrated circuits shall be considered as original if such combination taken as a whole is the result of its creator's own intellectual efforts.
(3) Where an original layout-design has been created in execution of a commission or a contract of employment, the right of registration to such layout-design under this Act shall belong, in the absence of any contractual provision to the contrary, to the person who commissioned the work or to the employer.
Section 7, The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000 (Act 37 of 2000).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Questions about Section 7
What does Section 7 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act deal with?
Section 7 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act is headed "Prohibition of registration of certain layout-designs". A layout-design-- (a) which is not original;
How do I find court cases under Section 7 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act 7, section 7 Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, section 7 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
What should I read with Section 7 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, and has it changed?
4 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When did Section 7 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act come into force?
Section 7 of the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, cited as Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act 7, came into force on 01 May 2004, having been enacted on 04 Sep 2000. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 16 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.