Overview
- China finalized revised regulations for integrated‑circuit layout designs that Premier Li Qiang signed on July 23 and that take effect on October 15, 2026.
- The rules force applicants to prove independent development and to declare which parts of a layout are original so regulators can reject weak or copied filings.
- Courts may award damages based on rights‑holder losses or an infringer's gains and may impose punitive damages in serious cases to strengthen enforcement.
- The regulations clarify how layout rights can be licensed, transferred or used as collateral and require creators' organisations to pay eligible personnel reasonable rewards.
- The move follows U.S. curbs on advanced design tools and equipment and is meant to protect and foster domestic chip design capacity while avoiding formal export controls.