Crimes related to the formal designs of integrated circuitsaccording to Order 03-08

Abstract

The formal designs of integrated circuits are an element of the newly created property rights, which emerged as a result of the great development in the field of information and communication technology. In fact, every technological or technical advancecan hardly standwithout a formal design.Since the formal designs of integrated circuits are very technical elements, manufacturing them requires a long time and great effort; besides, it comes atvery high costs. On the other hand, the process of copying or replicating them is very simple and inexpensive, which had exposed them to constant attacks. Hence, the need to develop a specific legal system emerged.The latter aims to guarantee the protection of these designs; especially by identifying acts or practices that constitute a violation of the exclusive rights of the formal design’s owner, and identifying the elements that regard imitating a formal design of an integrated circuit as a crime. All for the sake of determining the penal liability; and thus, increasing the guarantees for the design owners to encourage them to invest in the economic field.