6Topographies of semiconductor products
6.1. What are topographies of semiconductor products?
Spanish legislation grants a period of protection of 10 years for topographies of semiconductor products, (integrated semi-conductor circuits known as “chips”). The subject-matter of protection is not the integrated circuit itself but the way in which it is physically mounted, that is, the physical arrangement of all its elements.
6.2. How do you obtain topographies of semiconductor products?
In order for the SPTO to grant protection of the semiconductor product, the topography must be the result of the creator’s own intellectual efforts and must not be commonplace in the semiconductor industry, that is, the law requires originality and creativity5.
5 The governing provisions are to be found in Law 11/1988, the result of the transposition to Spanish law of Directive 87/54/EEC of December 16, 1986.
