1. What is a topography of semiconductor products?
2. What are the application requirements for a topography?
3. What does a topography application procedure involve?
4. What is the duration of topography protection?

1. What is a topography of semiconductor products?

A topography of semiconductor products is a series of fixed or encoded related images, representing the three-dimensional pattern of the layers of which a semiconductor product is composed, and at the same time represents the pattern of a surface of the semiconductor product at any stage of its manufacture and is the result of its creator's own intellectual effort and is not commonplace in the semiconductor industry.

2. What are the application requirements for a topography?

• Applications shall be submitted on a prescribed form (the form is available only in Slovak);
• title of the topography;
• identification data of the applicant, nationality and signature (or the representative’s signature);
• documents identifying the topography (can be designated as a trade secret);
• documents establishing the entitlement to topography protection, if the applicant is not the creator;
• data on a representative including an authorisation, if the applicant designates a representative;
• the date of the first commercial exploitation of the topography;
• in addition, an administrative fee of EUR 100 shall be paid.

More information regarding fees

3. What does a topography application procedure involve?

• The application shall be submitted in person to the filing office of the Industrial Property Office in Banská Bystrica, by post to the Office’s address in Banská Bystrica or electronically (the service is available only in Slovak).
• If it contains the required formalities, the Office shall register the topography in the Register, issue a registration certificate and notify the registration in the Official Gazette.
• Where the application does not comply with the required formalities, the Office shall invite the applicant to remedy the defects within a specific deadline. If the applicant fails to do so, the Office shall terminate the procedure.

4. What is the duration of topography protection?

• Topography protection shall start on the date of the first commercial exploitation of the topography, if an application has been duly filed with the Office within 2 years of such use, or on the date of filing of the application with the Office, provided the topography has not been previously commercially exploited.
• The duration of topography protection shall expire 15 years from the end of the calendar year when protection was granted.

Explanatory laws:

• Act on protection of topographies of semiconductor products