WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION RESTRICTED
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DUCOMMERCEIP/N/1/SVN/1/Add.3
17October 1995
ORGANIZACI ÓNMUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO(95-3135)
Council forTrade-Related Aspects Original: English/
ofIntellectual Property Rights anglais/
inglés
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS
UNDER ARTICLE 63.2OFTHE AGREEMENT
Slovenia
Addendum
TheLawonProtection ofTopographies ofIntegrated Circuits ,1995.1
Conseil desaspects desdroits depropriété
intellectuelle quitouchent aucommerce
NOTIFICATION DESLOIS ETREGLEMENTATIONS
AUTITRE DEL'ARTICLE 63:2DEL'ACCORD
Slovénie
Addendum
Loisurlaprotection destopographies decircuits intégrés ,1995.1
Consejo delosAspectos delosDerechos dePropiedad
Intelectual relacionados conelComercio
NOTIFICACI ÓNDELEYES YREGLAMENTOS DECONFORMIDAD
CON ELPÁRRAFO 2DEL ARTÍCULO 63DEL ACUERDO
Eslovenia
Addendum
LeydeProtección delasTopografías deCircuitos Integrados ,de1995.1
1English only/anglais seulement/en inglés solamente.IP/N/1/SVN/1/Add.3
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REPUBLIC OFSLOVENIA
LAW ONPROTECTION OFTOPOGRAPHIES OFINTEGRATED CIRCUITS2
Article 1
ThisLawregulates thegrant ofprotection oftopographies ofintegrated circuits.
Article 2
An"integrated circuit" shallmean thefinalorintermediate form ofanyproduct intended to
perform anelectronic function, consisting ofabodyofmaterial which includes oneorseveral connected
layers composed ofintegrated elements, ofwhich atleastoneshallbeanactive element.
The"topography ofanintegrated circuit" (hereinafter: topography) shallmean aninvariably
fixed series ofrelated images foreachlayer oftheintegrated circuit, representing thedisposition of
semiconducting elements onlayers, however fixed orencoded orotherwise expressed.
"Commercial exploitation" ofatopography means themanufacture, sale,rental, leasing or
anyother method ofcommercial distribution, directly relating toatopography orintegrated circuit,
produced onthebasis oftherespective topography.
Article 3
Therighttoprotection ofatopography shallapply infavour ofitscreator. When atopography
istheproduct ofseveral creators, thesaidrightshallapply infavour ofallthose persons.
Where atopography iscreated inthecourse ofthecreator 'semployment oronthebasis of
order, therighttoprotection shallapply infavour ofthecreator 'semployer orperson placing theorder,
unless theterms ofemployment ororder provide tothecontrary.
Thepersons entitled totherightunder paragraphs 1and2maybenatural persons whoare
nationals oftheRepublic ofSlovenia, aswellascompanies andother legalpersons whose seatison
theterritory oftheRepublic ofSlovenia.
Thepersons entitled totherightunder paragraphs 1and2mayalsobenatural persons who
arenotnationals oftheRepublic ofSlovenia andhavenottheirhabitual residence ontheterritory of
theRepublic ofSlovenia, aswellasforeign companies andother foreign legalpersons, ifthisresults
frominternational contracts andconventions orfrom theapplication oftheprinciple ofreciprocity.
2Of30March 1995.
Slovenian title: Zakon ovarstvu topografije polprevodni škihvezij.
Entry intoforce: 29April 1995.
Source: Uradni listRepublike Slovenije, No.21/1995, of14April 1995, p.1606.IP/N/1/SVN/1/Add.3
Page3
Article 4
TheSlovenian Intellectual Property Office (hereinafter: Office) shallmaintain theregister of
protected topographies, aswellascarry outtheadministrative proceedings andother administrative
matters relating tothegrant oftherightofprotection ofatopography.
There shallbenoappeal against adecision taken bytheOffice inaccordance withthisLaw;
anadministrative litigation proceeding shall, however, bepossible.
Theregister referred toinparagraph 1shallbeopentopublic.
Article 5
Atopography shallbeprotected ifitisoriginal.
Atopography isconsidered tobeoriginal ifitistheresult ofitscreator 'sownintellectual effort
andwasnotcommonplace inthesemiconductor industry when itwascreated.
Where atopography consists ofelements thatarecommonplace intherespective industry, only
thecombination ofthese elements shallbeprotected, provided thatitfulfils theconditions relating
tooriginality, asprovided forinparagraph 2.
Article 6
Theholder oftheprotected topography shall begranted exclusive rights ofcommercial
exploitation, including therighttoauthorize orprohibit anyofthefollowing acts:
- Reproduction ofthetopography byanymeans orinanyform;
- importation, saleorother formofdistribution ofthetopography orintegrated circuit
incorporating therespective topography orproducts thatinclude integrated circuit
incorporating therespective topography.
Theexclusive rights referred toinparagraph 1shallnotextend toanyconcept, process, system
ortechnique embodied inthetopography other thanthetopography itself.
Article 7
Atopography shall beprotected when itisentered intotheregister oftopographies. The
exclusive rights shallcome intoexistence ontheearlier ofthefollowing dates:
- Thedateoffiling ofapplication inaccordance withArticle 9;or
- thedatewhen therespective topography wasfirstcommercially exploited anywhere
intheworld.
Theexclusive rights shallcome toanend10years from theearlier ofthefollowing dates:
- Theendofthecalendar yearinwhich thetopography isfirstcommercially exploited
anywhere intheworld; or
- theendofthecalendar yearinwhich theapplication hasbeenfiledindueform.IP/N/1/SVN/1/Add.3
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Within thetermofprotection, theright holder isentitled tomark therespective integrated
circuit withacapital T.
Theexclusive rights shallexpire before theperiod defined inparagraph 1,iftherespective
feesarenotpaidoriftherightholder oftheprotected topography renounces protection inwriting.
Notwithstandingparagraph1,ifatopographyhasnotbeencommerciallyexploited,theexclusive
rights shallexpire after15years from itsfixation orencoding.
Article 8
Anapplication cannotbefiledafterthelapse oftwoyears from thedatewhen atopography
wasfirstcommercially exploited.
Article 9
Theprocedure fortheregistration ofrightofprotection shallcommence witharequest relating
totheentryintoregister, which shallbeaccompanied byallprescribed items (hereinafter: application).
Theapplication shallcontain thefollowing items:
- Name andsignature oftheapplicant, name ofthecreator, nationality andhabitual
residence orseatoftheapplicant;
- images relating totherespective topography, accompanied bythemention oftheir
sequence;
- anabstract comprising ofthecharacteristics oftheelectronic function orfunctions of
anintegrated circuit, manufactured onthebasis oftheprotected topography;
- ifthetopography hasalready beencommercially exploited, astatement inwriting
relating tothedatewhen therespective topography wasfirstcommercially exploited.
Aseparate application shallbefiledforeachtopography.
TheMinister ofScience andTechnology shallissue regulations specifying ingreater detail
thecontents ofapplication.
Article 10
Feesshallbepaidinconsideration oftheregistration andcontinuation inforce oftopography.
TheGovernment oftheRepublic ofSlovenia shalllaydown regulations setting theamount
offeesdescribed inparagraph 1.
Article 11
TheOffice shallexamine whether theapplication fulfils theconditions relating totheentry
intheregister oftopographies asspecified inArticle 9(1).
Therequest shallberejected iftheapplication doesnotfulfil thesaidconditions.IP/N/1/SVN/1/Add.3
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Iftheapplication fulfils theconditions onlyinpart,theOffice shallinvite theapplicant toamend
theapplication within thetime-limit oftwomonths. TheOffice may, forlegitimate reasons andon
request oftheapplicant, extend thistermforanother three months. Iftheapplicant failstoreply in
duetime, theapplication shallbedeemed tobewithdrawn.
Iftheapplication fulfils alltheconditions, itshallbeentered intheregister oftopographies,
andtheapplicant shallbeissued acertificate relating totheentry intheregister.
Theentry intherespective register shallbepublished intheofficial bulletin oftheOffice.
Article 12
Theregistration isinvalidated ifitisestablished that:
- Therespective topography isnotoriginal; or
- theapplication hasnotbeenfiledbyanatural orlegal person whoisentitled tothe
righttoprotection; or
- theapplication hasbeenfiledafterthedatesetoutinArticle 7(5)orArticle 8;or
- images torelating topography cannot make apossibility ofitsidentification.
Anynatural orlegal person mayinstitute anaction before acompetent court todeclare the
rights nullandvoidonthegrounds indicated inthepreceding paragraph.
Thefinaljudgement shallbepublished intheofficial bulletin oftheOffice.
Article 13
Aperson whose rights havebeeninfringed may,inaddition todamages, request thattheperson
infringing hisrightbeprohibited from carrying ontheactsgiving risetoviolation.
Anyperson whoinfringes therights ofprotection ofaprotected topography shallbeliable
foranydamage (thus caused) inaccordance withthegeneral principle governing compensation for
damage.
Thefollowing cases shallnotbeconsidered aninfringement ofrights ofprotection:
- Reproduction oftheprotected topography fornon-commercial purposes; or
- reproduction oftheprotected topography withthepurpose toanalyze orevaluate its
concept,processes,systemsandtechniques,embodiedinthetopography,orforresearch
oreducational purposes; or
- commercial exploitation ofanewtopography which has,however, beencreated on
thebasisofanalyses andevaluation oftheprotected topography, butisconsidered to
beoriginal andtheresult ofitscreator 'sownintellectual effort andisnotcommonplace
inthesemiconductor industry.
Theprovisions ofparagraph 1shallapply alsotothesuccessors intitleoftheperson referred
toinparagraph 1.IP/N/1/SVN/1/Add.3
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Article 14
Aperson,whocommerciallyexploitsanintegratedcircuitincorporatingtheprotectedtopography,
anddoesnotknow, orhasnoreasonable grounds tobelieve thatthetopography oftheproduct is
protected, shallnotbeprevented from commercially exploiting thatintegrated circuit.
Compensation, theamount ofwhich depends onthescope ofcommercial exploitation ofthe
protected topography, maybeclaimed fromtheperson referred toinparagraph 1bytherightholder
oftheprotected topography.
Compensation maybeclaimed from thedatewhen theperson referred toinparagraph 1has
known, orhashadreasonable grounds tobelieve thatthetopography isprotected.
Theamount ofcompensation under paragraph 2shallbeagreed uponbetween therightholder
oftheprotected topography andtheperson referred toinparagraph 1.Ifnoagreement isreached,
thecompetent court shallestablish theamount ofcompensation.
Theprovisions ofparagraph 1shallapply alsotothesuccessors intitleoftheperson referred
toinparagraph 1.
Therightofcommercial exploitation referred toinparagraph 1islimited toimportation, sale
ordistribution oftheproducts ofintegrated circuits orother products incorporating therespective
topography, andthisright applies toatopography orproducts thatwere onhand atthetimewhen
theclaim under paragraph 2wasreceived.
Article 15
Therights asprovided forinthesecond subparagraph ofArticle 6(1)maynotbeexercised
aftertheprotected topography orintegrated circuit hasbeenputonthemarket bytherespective right
holder orwithhisconsent.
Article 16
Pursuant tothisLaw, onlytopographies which havebeencreated afterthedatewhen thisLaw
entered intoforce maybeprotected.
Article 17
Theprovisions ofArticle 5(3)(representation offoreigners), ofArticle 7(1)(non-availability
ofunpublished applications), ofArticle 44(3) (receipt ofapplication), ofArticle 65(2and3)(entry
ofdataandchanges intheregister), ofArticles 88and89(invalidation ofrights), ofArticle 97(time-
limits forinfringement action), ofArticles 106and107(transfer ofrights), ofArticles 108,110and
111(licence), andofArticle 119(representation) oftheLawonIndustrial Property (Official Gazette
oftheRepublic ofSlovenia No.13/92, 27/93), shallapply mutatis mutandis .
Article 18
Regulations ofArticles 9and10shallbepublished nolaterthanwithin sixmonths following
thedatewhen thisLawenters intoforce.IP/N/1/SVN/1/Add.3
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Article 19
ThisLawshallenter intoforce onthefifteenth dayfollowing itspublication intheOfficial
Gazette oftheRepublic ofSlovenia.