WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMl\mRCE 
ORGANIZACION MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO IPIN/lI AUS/L/l 
1 August 1996 
(96-3072) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights Original: English/ 
anglaisl 
ingles 
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS AND REGULATIONS 
NOTIFIED UNDER ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
Australia 
The present document reproduces the Circuit Layouts Act 1989 (reprinted as at 31 May 1991)1, 
as notified by Australia under Article 63.2 of the Agreement (see document IP/N/lI AUS/lIRev .1). 
Conseil des aspects des droits de propriete 
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce 
PRlNCIPALES LOIS ET REGLEMENTATIONS CONSACREES 
A LA PROPRlETE INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIEES 
AU TITRE DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD 
Australie 
Le present document contient le texte de la Loi de 1989 sur la configuration des circuits 
(reimpression du 31 mai 1991)1, notifiee par l'Australie au titre de l'article 63:2 de l'Accord (voir 
le document IP/N/lIAUS/lIRev.l). 
Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad 
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio 
PRlNCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA 
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD 
DEL pARRAFO 2 DEL ARTICULO 63 DEL ACUERDO 
Australia 
En el presente documento se reproduce la Ley de Esquemas de Trazado de los Circuitos 
Integrados de 1989 (reimpresion del 31 de mayo de 1991)1, que Australia ha notificado en virtud del 
parrafo 2 del articulo 63 del Acuerdo (vease el documento IP/N/lIAUSIlIRev.l). 
1English only/anglais seulement/ingles solamente. IPINll! AUS/LIl 
Page 2 
1 
.~.,.. CANBERD.t. 
fV'\ AUSTRALIA & --.---------...:l ~,>.;':))~(<«(<...I.!. 
CIRCUIT LAYOUTS ACT 1989 
Reprinted as at 31 May 1991 
TABLE OF PROVISIONS 
Section 
PART I-PRELIMINARY 
1 . Short title 
2. Commencement 
3. Extension to external Territories 
4. Act binds the Crown 
5. Interpretation 
6. Residence not aHected by temporary absence 
7. Application to circuit layo~ts made before commencement 
8. Commercial exploitation 
9. Exclusive right 
10. Making an eligible layout 
11. Originality 
12. Licence of owner of EL rights 
13. Substantial part of eligible layout 
14. References to all joint makers 
15. References to anyone or more joint makers 
PART II-EL RIGHTS IN ELIGIBLE LAYOUTS 
Division 1-Ownership and nature of EL rights 
16. Ownership of EL rights 
17. Nature of EL rights 
18. EL rights to subsist without regard to makers who are not eligible persons 
Division 2 -Infringement of EL rights 
19. Infringement 
27913 (P.R.A. 59/91 )·Cat. No. 91 4633 7 ii Circuit Layouts Act 1989 
TABLE OF PROVISIONS+corttinued' IP IN IliA US/L/l 
Page 3 
Section 
DIVision 3-Acts that are not~{nfringementS'of;El>rigt"'s 
20. Innocent commercial exploitation 
21. Copying for private use . 
22. Copying for research or teaching purposes" 
23. Evaluation or analysis 
24. Commercial exploitation of eligible layouts previously exploited under 
licence 
25. Use for purposes of defence or security 
PART Ill-REMEDIES FOR INFRINGEMENTS OF EL RIGHTS 
Division 1-Preliminary 
26. Application of Part to counterclaims 
Division 2-Actions by owner of EL rights 
27. Actions for infringement 
28. Limitation of actions 
Division 3-Proceedings where EL rights subject 10 exclusive licence 
29. Application 
30. Rights of exclusive licensee 
31. Joinder of owner or exclusive licensee as a party 
32. Defences available against exclusive licensee 
33. Assessment of damages where exclusive licence granted 
34. Apportionment of profits between owner and exclusive licensee 
35. Separate actions in relation to the same infringement 
36. Liability for costs 
Division 4 -Proof of facts in actions 
37. Presumptions as to subsistence and ownership of EL rights 
38. Affidavit evidence 
39. Evidentiary labels 
Division 5-Jurisdiction and appeals 
40. Exercise of jurisdiction 
41. Appeals 
PART IV-MISCELLANEOUS 
42. Eligible foreign countries 
43. Limitation on power of courts to grant relief in proceedings under this Act 
44. Prospective ownership of EL rights 
45. Assignments and licences of EL rights 
46. Groundless threats of legal proceedings 
47. Jurisdiction of Federal Court of Australia 
48. Regulations 
49. Consequential amendments of other Acts 
SCHEDULE 
Consequential amendments IP/N/I/AUS/L/l 
Page 4 
CIRCUIT LAYOUTS ACT 1989 
An Act to provide for the protection of certain layouts for integrated 
circuits, and for related purposes 
PART I-PRELIMINARY 
Short title 
1. ~rhis Act m<ly be cited as the Circuit Layout5 Act /989. 1 
Commencement 
2.1 (I) Sections I and 2 commence on the day on which this Act 
receives the Royal Assent. 
(2) The remaining provisions of this Act COlnmence on ~ day or 
days to be fixed by Proclamation. 
Extension to external Territories 
3. This Act extends lo every external Territory. 
Act binds the Crown 
4. Subject to section 25, this Act binds the Crown. 
I nterprelation 
5. In this Act: 
"action" n1eans a proceeding of a civil nature between parties, 311d 
includes a counterclairn; 
"Australian protected person" has the SiJlne meaning as "in regulation 5 
of the Australian Citizenship Regulations: ~, 5 IP IN 111 A US/LI 1 
Page 5 
Circuit Layouts Act 1989 
"circuit layout" (HeanS a representation, fixed in any material form, of 
the thrcc-dilncnsional location of the active and passive elements· and 
i n t ere 0 n nee l ion s In Cl kin g u p Cl n i n t e g rat e d c ire u it; 
"comrnc."cicllly exploited" has the meaning given in section 8; 
"cligible foreign country"'· nlcallS a foreign country declared by the 
regulation~ to be (In eligible foi'eign country for the purposes of this 
Act: . 
"eligible layout" 111eans an origin(J1 circuit layout: 
(it) the 1l1aker of which was, at the time the layout was made, an 
eligiL'de person; or 
(b) that was first c0l11nlercially exploited in Australia or in an 
eligiblc foreigli country; 
"eligihle pcrson" nlenns: 
«(1) 3n Australian citizen, an Australian protected person or a 
person resident ill Australia; 
(b) a body corporate incorporated by or under a law in force'in a 
Slale or Territory; 
(c) a citizen, n(Jtional or resident of an eligible foreign country; or 
(d) et body corporate incorporated by or unJer a law of an eligible 
foreign country; 
"EL rights" nleans the exclusive rights specified in section 17 in 
relation la an eligible I,ayollt; 
"exclusive liccnre" nleal1S ,t licence in writing, signcd by or on behalf 
of the owner or prospective owner of EL rights, authorising the 
licensee, lO the exclusion of HII other persons, to do an act that, under 
this Act, the owner would, but for the licence, have the exclusive right 
to do; 
"exclusive .·ight" has the nleaning given in section 9; 
"future EL rights" means EL rights that ~il1 come into existel)ce at a 
f u tu re ti nle or on the happen i ng of a futu re event; 
"inleg.·ated circuit" 111eans a circuit, whether in a final. form or. ~n 
intermeJiate fornl, the purpose, or one of the purposes, of which is to 
perfonn an electronic function,. bei ng a circuit in which the· active and 
passive elernents, and allY of the interconnections, are integrally 
for m e d i 11 0 r 0 nap i e c e 0 f III ate r i Cl I ; 
"material fOI-m" , in relation to Lt circuit layout, includes any fornl of 
storage (whether visible or not) fronl which the layout, or a substantial 
part of it, CLin be reproduced: 
"othe.· pa.-ty" , in rehllion lO an owner of EL rights or the exclusive 
I icensee of those rights, lneans the excl usive I icensee or the owner, 
respectively; IP/N/1/AUS/Lll 
Page 6 
Circuit Layouts Act 1989 
"prospective owner" m~C1I1S: ~. 6 
( a ) i n re I et t. i () n to f ulu r ~ EL rig h ts t hat arc no l 1 h C S II b i cc t 0 f (l n 
<lgreelllent of the kinJ referred to in subsection ~4 (1)-the 
person who will be the owner of those rights whcn they COfnc 
into existence: or 
(b) in relation lO future EL rights th~lt are the subject of slIch an 
agreen1ent-lhe person in whon1 those rights will vest under 
that subsecl ion whcn they cOlne i 11 to existence: 
"protection period" , ill relation to an eligible layout, l11cans the period 
he gin n i n g 0 nth c day () 11 W h i c h 1 h e I a yo u 1 W (I S 01 ad e and end i n g: 
( a ) i f 1 he III y 0 1I t is fir s t co n1 mer cia 11 y ex plo i t c d w i 1 h i n 1 0 c (11 end ~tr 
yea rs (I her t he ca le ndar year i r. wh ic h the I(JYou t was 1l1Jde -at 
the end of the tenth calendar year after the calenJar \e~1r in 
wh ic h the layoll t W[lS fi rst COn1l11 erci ally ex ploi ted; a nL! 
(b) in tiny other case-cH the cnd of the period of 10 calendar 
years after the calendar year in which the layout was made. 
Residence not afTc(:teo hy tenlporary absente 
6. For the purposes of this Act, a person who at a nlatcriiJl ti1l1C 
was ordinarily resident in Australia or a foreign country but was 
t em po r a r i I Y ab s en t fro n1 l hat co u n try s hall het re Cl t e d as i f he () r she 
had been resident in Australia or that country, as the case nlay be, at 
that tirne. 
Application to circuit layouts made before commencernenl 
7. 'rhis Act applies in relation to a circuit layout, whether n18de 
before or after the conHnenceme"nt of Part 11, but an action Joes not 
lie under Part III in respect of any act done before that COOlmence­
ment in relation to the layout, Cl copy of the layout, or an int~grated 
ci rcu i t 1l1(l{je in <IccordiJ nce \\,i t h the layo u t. 
Com mere ia I ex ploila lion 
8. (I) For the purposes of this Act, a circuit IClyout shall be taken 
to have been COrl1 mercially ex ploited if the layou t, a copy of the I(JYOll t, 
or an integrated circuit n1atie in accordance with the layout (whether 
or IlOt the integrated circuit is incorporated in another thing) is: 
(3) sold, let for hire or otherwise distrihuted hy way of trade: 
(b) offered or exposed for sale or hire, or other distrihution by 
way of tfeu.le: or . 
(c) inlportco for the purpose of sale, letting for hire, or other 
distribution by way of trade. Circuit Layouts Act 19a9 
s. 9 IP/N/l! AUS/L/t 
Page 7 
(2) For the purposes of this Act, a copy of " circuit layout or an 
integrated circuit nlade in accordance with a circuit layout shall be 
taken to have been conlnlcrcially exploited if it is: 
(a) sold, let for hire or otherwise distributed by way of trade; 
(b) offered or exposed for sale or hire, or other distribution by 
way of trade; or 
(c) ilnported for the purpose of sale, letting for hire, or other 
distrihution by way of trade. 
Exclusive dght 
9. For the purposes of this Act, the exclusive right to do an act in 
relation to an eligible layout, or an integratetl circuit Inade in accor­
dance with an eligible layout, includes the exclusive right to authorise 
a person to do that act in relation to that layout or integrated circuit. 
Making an eligible layout 
10. For the purposes of this Act: 
(a) a person who used a computer to mClke an eligible layout shall 
be taken la have Inadc the layout; anti 
(b) an eligible layout shal1 be taken to have been nlade when it 
was first fixed in a material form. 
()riginality 
11. Without otherwise linliting the menning of the word "original" 
in this Act, a circuit layout shall be taken not to be original if: 
(a) its nlaking involved no creative contribution by the maker; or 
(b) it was commonplace at the tinle it was nlade. 
Licence of owner of EL rights 
12. r:or the purposes of this Act, an act sh(J1I be taken to have 
been done with the licence of the owner of EL righls if doing that act 
was authorised by a licence binuing the owner. 
Substantial parl of eligihle layout 
13. III this Act: 
(a) a reference to doing an act (other th~ln 111aking) in relation to 
an eligible layollt includes a reference to doing that act In 
relation to ~I substantial part of the layolll~ 
(b) a reference to a copy of an eligible layout includes a reference 
to a copy of a substantial part of the layout; and IP/N/1/AUS/L/l 
Page 8 
Circuit Layouts Act 19a9 
s. 14 
(c) a reference to an integrated circuit made in accordance with 
an eligible layout includes a reference to an integrated circuit 
nlade in accordance with a suhstantial part of the layout. 
Rcfc."cnccs to all joint makc."s 
14. Su bject to this Part, a reference in this Act to the maker of an 
eligible h.tyout is, in relation to a jointly made eligible layout, a 
reference to all the nlakers of the layout, unless the contrary intention 
appears. 
Refe."cnces to anyone or more joint makers 
15. A reference in the uefinition of "eligihle layout" in section 5 
to the Inaker of an origi nul ci rcu it layout is, in relation to a jointly 
J11atie eligible layout, a reference to anyone or more of the nlakers of 
the layout. 
PART II-EL RIGHTS IN ELIGIBLE LA YOUTS 
Di.'ision I-Ownership and natu.re of El.. rights 
Ownership of EL ."ights 
16. (I) Subject to this section, the person who 1l1akes an eligible 
layollt is the first owner of the EL rights in it. 
(2) \Vhere a layollt is 111ade by a person ulHJer the ternlS of his or 
her enl ployment by another person under a contract of service or 
apprenticeship, that other person shall be taken to be the maker of the 
layout. 
(3) 'rhe application of subsection (2) to the EL rights in a 
particular eligible layout nlay be excluded or modified by agreenlent. 
(4) Where, before the COl1l1nenCenlent of Part 11, a design ap-
plicablc to an integrated circuit, or to part of an integrated circuit, or a 
design applicablc to a nl<lsk used to make an integrated circuit, was 
registered under the [)csiF,tls Act /<)00, the owner (within the meaning 
of that Act) of the design shall, for the purposes of this Act, be taken 
to be the n1aker of the circuit layout for the integrated circuit, or the 
pan of the integrated circuit, as the C~lse requires. 
Naturc of EL rights 
17. -rhe owner ot the I:L rights in an eligible layout has, during 
the protection period of the layout, the following exclusive rights: 
«(I) to copy the layout, direclly or indirectly, in a Inaterial form;