EUROPEISKA GEMENSKAPERNAS KOMMISSION 
Bryssel den 13.06.1995 
KOM(95) 261 slutlig 
Förslag till 
RÅDETS BESLUT 
om utsträckning av det rättsliga skyddet för kretsmönster i halvledarprodukter till 
personer från Förenta staterna 
(framlagt av kommissionen) 

Explanatory memorandum 
Community and international legal context 
Council Directive 87/54/EEC of 16 December 1986 on the legal protection of 
topographies of semiconductor products1 lays down the basic principles which the 
Member States must observe for the protection of intellectual property irr these 
topographies. It provides that protection is to be available to natural persons who are 
nationals of, or have their habitual residence in, a Member State, and to companies or 
other legal persons which have a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment 
in the territory of a Member State. The Directive has been implemented in the legislation 
of all the Member States. 
Under the terms of the Agreement on the European Economic Area, the Directive was 
extended to the EFTA countries where this Agreement was in force, and it continues, 
accordingly, to form part of the domestic legal order of the EFTA countries where the 
Agreement is in force and which have not become members of the European Union.2 
A series of Council Decisions, also taken over as binding acts in the Agreement on the 
European Economic Area already mentioned, have extended the legal protection of 
topographies of semiconductor products introduced by Directive 87/54/EEC to persons 
from certain countries and territories outside the Community. This protection has been 
granted on the basis of reciprocity to natural and legal persons, in some cases on a 
permanent basis and in others on a temporary basis.3 
OJ No L 24, 27.1.1987, p. 36. 
Article 65(2) and Annex XVII, point 1 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. 
Currently in force: 
- Council Decision 90/510/EEC of 9 October 1990 (OJ No L 285, 17.10.1990, p. 29), as 
amended by Decision 93/17/EEC of 21 December 1992 (OJ No L 11, 19.1.1993, p. 22), 
which introduces a system of permanent and unconditional protection in respect of certain 
countries and territories which have granted like protection to the Community 
Member States; 
- Council Decision 94/373/EC of 27 June 1994 (OJ No L 170, 5.7.1994, p. 34) on the 
extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from 
the United States of America until 1 July 1995; 
- Council Decision 94/700/EC of 24 October 1994 (OJ No L 284, 1.11.1994, p. 61) on the 
extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from 
Canada; 
- Council Decision 94/828/EC of 19 December 1994 (OJ No L 351, 31.12.1994, p. 12) on the 
extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from 
certain territories. 
A 
As provided for in Article 4(1) and (2) of Protocol 28 to the Agreement on the European 
Economic Area, the Contracting Parties to the Agreement have the right to take decisions 
on the extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to 
persons from any third country or territory which is not a Contracting Party to the 
Agreement who do not benefit from the protection afforded by the Agreement. They may 
also conclude agreements to this effect. 
Where the right to protection for topographies of semiconductor products is extended to a 
non-Contracting Party, the Contracting Party concerned must endeavour to ensure that 
the non-Contracting Party concerned will grant the right to protection to the other 
Contracting Parties to the Agreement under equivalent conditions to those granted to the 
Contracting Party concerned. 
In addition, the Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, which 
forms part of the results of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations 
embodied in the Marrakesh Final Act of 15 April 1994, requires Member States to grant 
protection to topographies of integrated circuits in accordance with the provisions of that 
Agreement and those of the Treaty on Intellectual Property in Respect of Integrated 
Circuits to which it refers. 
This Agreement, together with that establishing the World Trade Organization, entered 
into force in the Community on 1 January 1995.4 Countries of the industrialized world 
which are Parties to the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization have one 
year following the entry into force of this Agreement to apply its provisions on trade-
related aspects of intellectual property rights.5 
Council Decision 94/824/EC of 22 December 1994 provides for the extension of the legal 
protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from a Member of the 
World Trade Organization as from 1 January 1996.6 For his part, President Clinton 
announced on 23 March 1995 that the protection afforded under American law had been 
extended to all Members of the World Trade Organization with effect from the same 
date.7 
Council Decision 94/800/EC of 22 December 1994 concerning the conclusion on behalf of the 
European Community, as regards matters within its competence, of the agreements reached in 
the Uruguay Round multilateral negotiations (1986-1994), OJ No L 336, 23.12.1994. 
Article 65 of the Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights. 
OJNOL349, 31.12.1994, p. 201. 
Proclamation 6780 to Implement Certain Provisions of Trade Agreements Resulting From the 
Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, and for Other Purposes. 
Relations between the Community and the United States of America 
Council Decision 94/373/EC8 was adopted on 27 June 1994 in order to extend the interim 
protection already granted by the Community to persons from the United States of 
America by the successive Decisions which had been adopted from 26 October 1987 to 
that date. Decision 94/373/EC extends, from 2 July 1994 to 1 July 1995, the protection 
provided for pursuant to Directive 87/54/EEC to natural persons who are nationals of the 
United States of America or have their habitual residence in the territory of that country, 
and to companies and other legal persons of the United States of America which have a 
real and effective industrial or commercial establishment in that country. 
In the United States, the order of 26 May 1994, adopted in accordance with Section 914 
of the 1984 Semiconductor Chip Protection Act,9 extends until 1 July 1995 the interim 
orders granting the legal protection provided for by this legislation to nationals, residents 
or sovereign authorities of Member States of the European Community. By Proclamation 
6780 of 23 March 1995,10 and in accordance with Section 902(a)(2) of the 1984 
Semiconductor Chip Protection Act, President Clinton extended the protection provided 
for in this legislation to the Member States of the European Community with effect from 1 
July 1995.11 As specified above, the protection in question is also to be extended to all the 
Members of the World Trade Organization as from 1 January 1996.12 
Proposal 
In view of the extension, by virtue of the Proclamation of the President of the 
United States, of the full and complete protection established by the 1984 Semiconductor 
Chip Protection Act to the Member States of the European Community with effect from 
1 July 1995, it may be concluded that natural and legal persons from these Member States 
will continue to be afforded appropriate protection in the United States of America in 
respect of topographies of semiconductor products. 
The extension of protection to persons from the Member States of the Community under 
the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act is conditional on reciprocal protection being 
provided by the Community for persons from the United States. 
The criterion of reciprocity, currently used to determine whether to extend protection, can 
in future no longer be applied because of the Agreement on trade-related aspects of 
intellectual property rights. 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 Aforementioned Decision, footnote 3. 
Chapter 9 of Title 17, United States Code. 
See footnote 7. 
Point 3 of the Proclamation, first sentence. 
Point 3 of the Proclamation, second sentence. 
It is therefore proposed that the Council extend the right to protection under 
Directive 87/54/EEC to natural and legal persons from the United States of America with 
effect from 2 My 1995 and until Decision 94/824/EC applies, i.e. 1 January 1996. As 
from that date, protection in accordance with the requirements of the aforementioned 
Agreement wiö be provided by the United States of America and the Member States of 
the European Community to persons from ail the Members of the World Trade 
Organization in respect of topographies of semiconductor products. 
Measures to he taken in connection with 
the Agreement on the European Economic Area 
The proposed Council Decision relates, as stated above, to a matter covered by the 
Agreement on the European Economic Area. It is aimed at implementing, in respect of 
persons from the United States of America, the protective machinery already applied to a 
certain number of countries, reflected by the adoption of a series of Council Decisions 
already listed as binding acts in Annex XVII, point 3 of this Agreement. Accordingly, the 
application of the Decision should be extended to the EFTA countries in which the 
Agreement on the European Economic Area is in force and which are not members of the 
European Union. 
Moreover, in accordance with Article 4(2) of Protocol 28 to the Agreement, the 
Community will endeavour to ensure that the US authorities grant the right to protection 
to the other Contracting Parties to the Agreement under equivalent conditions as those 
granted to them. 
Förslag till rådets beslut 
av den... 
om utsträckning av det rättsliga skyddet för kretsmönster i halvledarprodukter till 
personer från Förenta staterna 
EUROPEISKA UNIONENS RÅD HAR FATTAT DETTA BESLUT 
med beaktande av Fördraget om upprättandet av Europeiska gemenskapen, och 
med beaktande av rådets direktiv 87/54/EEG av den 16 december 1986 om rättsligt skydd 
för kretsmönster i halvledarprodukter1, särskilt artikel 3.7 i detta, 
med beaktande av kommissionens förslag, och 
med beaktande av följande: 
Rätten till rättsligt skydd för halvledarprodukters kretsmönster i gemenskapen gäller 
personer som är berättigade till skydd enligt artikel 3.1-3.5 i direktiv 87/54/EEG. 
Rådet kan genom beslut utsträcka denna rätt till personer som inte har rätt till skydd enligt 
de nämnda bestämmelserna. 
Beslut om utsträckning av skyddet i fråga bör i den mån det är möjligt fattas för hela 
gemenskapen. 
Skyddet har sedan den 7 november 1987 utsträckts till att omfatta Förenta staterna genom 
en rad interimsbeslut av rådet2, varav det senaste är beslut 94/373/EG av den 27 juni 
1994. 
Det beslutet är tillämpligt till och med den 1 juli 1995. 
Förenta staterna har lämplig lagstiftning om skydd för halvledarprodukters kretsmönster 
och landets president utsträckte i ett tillkännagivande av den 23 mars 1995 det skyddet till 
att gälla personer från Europeiska gemenskapens medlemsstater från och med den I juli 
1995. 
Enligt det avtal om handelsrelaterade aspekter av immateriell äganderätt, som utgör ett av 
resultaten av de multilaterala handelsförhandlingarna under Uruguayrundan och som ingår 
i Marrakesh-slutakten av den 15 april 1994, är medlemmarna skyldiga att bevilja skydd för 
kretsmönster för integrerade kretsar i enlighet med sina egna bestämmelser och med 
bestämmelserna i det fördrag om immateriell äganderätt i fråga om integrerade kretsar 
som det hänvisar till. 
EGT nr L 24, 27.1.1987, s. 36. 
Rådets beslut 87/532/EEG av den 26 oktober 1987, EGT nr L 313, 4.11.1987, s. 22; rådets beslut 
90/5Il/EEG av den 9 oktober 1990, EGT nr L 285, 17.10.1990, s. 31; rådets beslut 93/16/EEG av den 
21 december 1992, EGT nr L 11, 19.1.1993, s. 20; rådets beslut 94/4/EG av den 20 december 1993, 
EGT nr L 6, 8.1.1994, s. 23; rådets beslut 94/373/EG av den 27 juni 1994, EGT nr L 170, 5.7.1994, s. 
34. 
6" 
Det avtalet, samt avtalet om inrättande av Världshandelsorganisationen (till vilket det 
bifogas), trädde i kraft i gemenskapen den 1 januari 1995. De industriländer som är 
medlemmar i avtalet om inrättande av Världshandelsorganisationen har ett år på sig efter 
dess ikraftträdande att genomföra de delar av det sistnämnda avtalet som gäller 
handelsrelaterade aspekter av immateriell äganderätt. 
Gemenskapen har antagit rådets beslut 94/824/EG om utsträckning av det rättsliga 
skyddet för kretsmönster i halvledarprodukter till medborgare i 
Världshandelsorganisationens medlemsländer3, som är tillämpligt från och med den 
1 januari 1996. Förenta staterna är medlem i Världshandelsorganisationen. 
Med tanke på att Förenta staterna har utsträckt det skydd som den amerikanska 
lagstiftningen ger till personer från Europeiska gemenskapens medlemsstater, bör rätten 
till skydd enligt direktiv 87/54/EEG utökas till fysiska och juridiska personer från Förenta 
staterna med verkan från och med den 2 juli 1995 och till dess att beslut 94/824/EG börjar 
tillämpas, dvs. den 1 januari 1996. 
HÄRIGENOM FÖRESKRIVS FÖLJANDE 
Artikel / 
Medlemsstaterna skall utsträcka rätten till skydd enligt direktiv 87/54/EG enligt följande: 
a) Fysiska personer som är medborgare i Förenta staterna eller som varaktigt är bosatta 
inom Förenta staternas territorium skall behandlas på samma sätt som medborgare i 
en medlemsstat. 
b) Företag och andra juridiska personer från Förenta staterna som har en faktisk och 
aktiv industriell verksamhet eller handelsverksamhet där skall behandlas som om de 
hade en faktisk och aktiv industriell verksamhet eller handelsverksamhet på en 
medlemsstats territorium. 
Artikel 2 
Detta beslut skall tillämpas från och med den 2 juli 1995. 
Medlemsstaterna skall utsträcka rätten till rättsligt skydd enligt detta beslut till de 
personer som avses i artikel 1 till och med den 1 januari 1996. 
Eventuella exklusiva rättigheter som erhållits genom något av besluten 87/532/EEG, 
90/511/EEG, 93/16/EEG, 94/4/EG, 94/373/EG eller genom detta beslut skall fortsätta att 
gälla under den period som fastställs i direktiv 87/54/EEG. 
Beslut av den 22 december 1994, EGT nr L 349, 31.12.1994, s. 201. 
Artikel S 
Detta beslut riktar sig till medlemsstaterna. 
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ISSN 1024-4506 
KOM(95) 261 slutlig 
DOKUMENT 
SV 06 11 02 
Katalognummer : CB-C0-95-282-SV-C 
ISBN 92-77-90344-9 
Byrån för Europeiska gemenskapernas officiella publikationer 
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