A Chinese flag is displayed next to a printed circuit board with semiconductor chips on Feb 17, 2023. (Image: Reuters/Florence Lo)
03 Aug 2026 07:00PM
BEIJING: China has revised regulations protecting integrated-circuit layout designs, tightening registration standards and allowing punitive damages for serious infringement, as Beijing seeks to better safeguard domestic chip know-how.The revised regulations, signed by Premier Li Qiang on Jul 23, will take effect on Oct 15, the Justice Ministry and China National Intellectual Property Administration said in a document published by state news agency Xinhua on Monday (Aug 3).The rules cover detailed layouts that determine how components are arranged within a chip, designs that can reflect substantial engineering work and are central to semiconductor development even for companies that do not manufacture chips themselves.The measures do not amount to export controls, but reflect the greater strategic importance Beijing is assigning to technology developed by Chinese companies.US RESTRICTING ACCESS TO CHIP DESIGN TECH
China's semiconductor industry has accelerated efforts to develop domestic alternatives after successive US restrictions limited access to advanced semiconductor-design software and manufacturing equipment.Chinese policymakers have also considered broader measures to prevent strategically important domestic technologies from being transferred overseas or acquired by foreign companies, the Financial Times reported last month.
