Patent ID: 8910303

Claim:
A method for manipulating security of an integrated circuit layout, comprising: rendering a PCell that is created by an original user for a successive user; providing an access to the PCell from a database; providing a PCell evaluator to execute evaluating steps of: getting a PCell license information from the PCell, and deciding accessing rights of the successive user by checking the PCell license information to determine a license type; computing a check sum value or a signature of a super-master for the successive user; and comparing the checksum value or the signature to a check sum or a signature of the super-master for the original user; generating a layout of a sub-master by instantiating the super-master of the PCell when the PCell license information is valid and when there is a match of the check sum or the signature of the super-master, and preventing the sub-master from delivering in a PCell view when the PCell license information is invalid or when there is a mismatch of the check sum value or the signature of the super-master.