LAW OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC "ON THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF INTEGRATED CIRCUITS TOPOLOGIES"
LAW OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
On the Legal Protection of Integrated Circuits Topologies
(Version of the Law of the KR of February 27, 2003, N 46)
Article 1. General Terms
General terms used in the present Law:
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integrated circuit (hereinafter, IC) is a micro-electronic article of complete or interim form meant for the
execution of electronic scheme functioning, elements and connections of which are inseparably formed in
the volume and (or) on the surface of the material on the basis of which the article is manufactured;
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integrated circuits topology (hereinafter, topology) is a spatial geometric arrangement of aggregate of
integrated circuits elements fixed on the material carrier and connections among them;
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usage with commercial purposes is the sale, lease or any other way of commercial distribution as well as
offer to perform these actions.
In the present Law the right owner shall be understood as the author or his heir, and any physical or juridical
person who possesses exclusive proprietary rights acquired by virtue of the Law or an agreement.
Article 2. Relationships regulated by the present Law
This Law shall regulate the relationships connected with creation, legal protection and use of topology.
The State Agency of Intellectual Property under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (hereinafter -
Kyrgyzpatent) shall provide the state regulation in the area of topology protection.
Article 3. Subject and Conditions of Legal Protection
Legal protection provided by this Law shall be extended to the original topology only.
Topology shall be original if it is created as a result of creative activity of the author. Topology shall be
recognized original until otherwise is proved.
Topology, the aggregate of elements of which is known to the elaborators and manufacturers of IC as of the
date of its creation shall not be given legal protection by this Law.
Topology consisting of elements, which are generally known to elaborators and manufactures of IC as of the
date of its creation shall be given legal protection only in case the aggregate of such elements in general
meets the requirements of paragraph 2 of the present Article.
Legal protection provided for in this Law shall not extend to ideas, methods, technologies or coded
information that may be embodied in topology.
Article 4. Authorship for Topology
Author of topology shall be a physical person by whose creative work this topology has been made.
If several physical persons created topology, each of them shall be recognized as the author of
such topology.
Physical persons who have not contributed personal creative input in the creation of topology but who have
rendered the author only technical, organizational or financial assistance or have facilitated the perfection of
right to use topology.
Right of authorship to topology shall be unalienable personal non-property right and shall be protected by
the Law without time limits.
Article 5. Economic Rights
The author or other right owner shall have an exclusive right to use this topology at his discretion in
particular by the way of manufacture and distribution of IC with such topology including the right to prohibit
the use of this topology to other persons without relevant permission, except for the cases provided for in
Article 8 of this Law.
The procedure for using of the rights belonging to several authors of topology or other right owners shall be
determined in the agreement between them.
Should no agreement be achieved, each of them may use the protected object at his discretion, but has no
right to provide a contract on full assignment of all economic rights to registered topology without the
consent of other right owners. In case of failure to achieve an agreement between the right owners on
concluding a contract on full assignment of all economic rights the court may settle the dispute
between them.
Infringement of the exclusive right to use topology shall be accomplishment of the following actions without
authorization of the author or any other right owner:
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copying of topology in whole or in part by way of its inclusion in IC or in any other way, with the exception of
copying only the part which is not original;
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usage, importing, offer to sale, sale and other introduction into business turnover of topology or IC with
this topology.
Article 6. Assignment of Economic Rights
Economic rights to topology may be assigned in full or in part to other physical or legal entities under
the agreement.
The agreement shall be formalized in writing and must contain the following conditions: volume of the rights
transferred, ways of use of topology, payment order, the amount of remuneration, territory and the period of
validity of agreement.
Agreement on the assignment of economic rights or licensing agreement for the registered topology shall be
registered at Kyrgyzpatent.
Agreement on the transfer of economic rights to topology shall not be valid without registration
at Kyrgyzpatent.
Economic rights to topology shall succeed by heritage in the order established by the Law.
Article 7. Economic Rights to Topology Created in the Course of Execution of Service Duties and under the
Contract with the Customer
Economic right to topology created in the course of executing service duties or specific tasks of the
employer shall belong to the employer, unless otherwise provided for in the agreement between him and
the author.
The procedure of payment and the amount of remuneration shall be stated by the agreement between the
author and the employer.
Economic rights to topology created by the author under the contract with the customer other than his
employer shall belong to the customer unless otherwise provided in the contract.
Article 8. Actions Not Recognized as Infringement of the Exclusive Right to the Use of Topology
Following shall not be recognized the infringement of exclusive right to exploitation of topology:
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use of lawfully purchased IC or articles containing such IC if the person using them did not know or had not
to know that these IC or articles containing such IC were manufactured and distributed with infringement of
exclusive right to use of topology. After receipt of the appropriate notification from the right owner of
topology, this person shall pay commensurate compensation for each IC or each article containing such IC;
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use in personal interests without generating profits and with the purpose of evaluation, analysis, research or
training;
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distribution of IC with protected topology introduced into business turnover by lawful means.
No infringement of exclusive right to use of topology shall be actions indicated in paragraphs 4 of Article 5 of
the present Law executed in relation to identical original topology independently, created by another author.
Article 9. Registration of Topology
The author of topology or other right owner at his discretion may register topology directly or through his
representative at Kyrgyzpatent by filing an application for official registration of IC topology (hereinafter,
application for registration).
Filing of the application for registration can be performed during the period not exceeding two years from the
date of first use of topology if it took place.
Application for registration must concern one topology and shall contain the following:
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application for official registration of IC topology with indication of the right owner and the author if he did not
refuse to be mentioned as such, their place of location (place of residence), date of the first use of topology
if it took place;
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deposited materials, identifying topology, including an abstract with indication to the novelty of topology;
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scheme of dimensional and geometrical disposition of elements of IC topology;
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the document confirming payment of registration fee in the established amount or grounds for exemption
from the payment of registration fee and also for reduction of its amount.
Kyrgyzpatent shall determine other requirements to the documents of application for registration.
After receipt of the application for registration Kyrgyzpatent shall check the availability of necessary
documents and their compliance with the requirements set forth in paragraph 3 of the present Article. During
two months after filing the application with Kyrgyzpatent the applicant has the right to add, clarify and correct
documents of the application.
Examination of application shall be performed within 6 months.
In case of positive results of examination, Kyrgyzpatent shall enter the topology into the State register of
integrated circuits topology of the Kyrgyz Republic, publishes information on registered topology in the
Official Bulletin of Kyrgyzpatent and issues a certificate of official registration of topology to the applicant.
Kyrgyzpatent therein shall establish the procedure of official registration, form of certificate on official
registration, composition of the specified data. Kyrgyzpatent shall also determine the list of data published in
the Official Bulletin.
The information entered into the State register of topologies of integrated circuits of the Kyrgyz Republic
shall be considered authentic until otherwise proved.
Liability for authenticity of the indicated information shall be with the applicant.
Registration fees shall be collected for carrying out actions connected with the official registration of
integrated circuits topology, agreements on the transfer of rights and publication of the information.
The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic shall establish amounts, terms of payment of registration fees and
grounds for exemption from payment or their reduction.
All money resources coming to Kyrgyzpatent’s account as fees, including those in foreign currency are used
by Kyrgyzpatent for covering expenses connected with carrying out activities envisaged by the present
article, and also for creating, equipping and using an automated system, training and motivating the staff.
The author of topology or his legal successor shall have the right to indicate in the protected topology and
articles including such topology a notification thereof in the form of letter T (“T”, [T], T, T* or T) in order to
inform about his rights, date of start of validity period of the exclusive right to use of topology and information
which allows to identify the right owner.
Article 10. Effective Term of Exclusive Right to Use Topology
Exclusive right to use topology shall be valid for ten years.
The start of validity period of exclusive right for topology use shall be defined on earliest of the
following dates:
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on the date of the first use of topology, which means the earliest documentarily fixed date of introduction of
this topology or IC with this topology into economic turnover somewhere in the world;
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on the date of registration of topology at Kyrgyzpatent;
In case of appearance of identical original topology independently created by another author, total validity
period of exclusive right for exploitation of topology may not exceed ten years.
Article 11. Protection of Rights to Topology
The author of topology and other right owner shall have the right to demand:
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recognition of rights;
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restoration of the situation existent before infringement of the right and cessation of actions infringing the
right or threatening to infringe it;
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reimbursement of losses the amount of which also includes the amount of revenues unlawfully obtained by
the infringer;
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adoption of other measures connected with the protection of their rights provided by normative legal acts.
The author or other right owner may apply to the court by the established procedure for his right protection.
Besides indemnification of inflicted losses the court may rule to impose a fine in the amount of 10% of the
amount ruled by the court in favor of the plaintiff to the budget of the Kyrgyz Republic.
In addition to covering losses the court may take a decision to charge a fine of 10% of the amount awarded
to the plaintiff by the court, to the revenue of the state budget of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The court may render a ruling on confiscation of illegally manufactured copies of IC and articles including
such IC, as well as materials and equipment used for manufacture thereof and on destruction thereof or
transfer to the budget of the Kyrgyz Republic or to the plaintiff at his request as indemnification of losses.
Article 12. Protection of Rights to Topology in Foreign Countries
The author or other right owner may seek for legal protection of topology in foreign countries after
registration of the corresponding application at Kyrgyzpatent. Noncompliance with this provision shall entail
the liability envisaged by the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Expenses related to obtaining legal protection of topographies in foreign countries shall be with the person
seeking for such protection or other natural person or legal entity by the agreement with him.
Article 13. Rights of Foreign Natural Persons and Legal Entities
Foreign physical persons and legal entities shall enjoy the rights envisaged by the present Law equally with
natural persons and legal entities of the Kyrgyz Republic by virtue of international treaties of the Kyrgyz
Republic or on the basis of reciprocity principle.
Article 14. International Treaties
If the international treaty of the Kyrgyz Republic establishes rules other than those that are included into the
present Law, the rules of the international treaty shall be applied.
Article 15. Implementation of the present Law
1.
The law shall come into force since the moment of its publication.
2.
The Law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On Legal Protection of Integrated Circuits Topology” extends to relations
connected with creation and use of integrated circuits topographies, which appeared after implementation of
the present Law. The present Law shall be valid to relations which appeared before publication of the
present Law in case the integrated circuits topology have been registered at Kyrgyzpatent for two years
since the date of publication of the present Law.
3.
The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic shall be authorized to bring to compliance all normative acts and
regulations with the present Law.