Article 15
The Special Register of Layout-Designs
(1) The Organization shall keep a register, known as “the Special Register of LayoutDesigns”, in which it shall be required, for each protected layout-design, to make all the
entries as provided in this Annex.
(2) The Administrative Council shall lay down by regulation those acts that are to be
entered, on pain of non-enforceability against third parties.
Article 16
Access to Information
in the Special Register of Layout-Designs
Any person may, at any time, against payment of the prescribed fee, consult the Special
Register of Layout-Designs of the Organization or request, at his own expense, information,
extracts or copies of such information.
Article 17
Right of Transfer
Where the essential contents of an application have been taken from the layout-design
of a third party without his consent and the application has already led to a registration, such
third party may petition the civil court for transfer of the registration to him.
The decision transferring the registration shall be communicated to the Organization
which shall enter it in the Special Register.
Article 18
Transfer and Assignment of Rights
(1) The rights subsisting in an application for registration of a layout-design or in a
layout-design shall be transferable in whole or in part.
(2) Acts involving the transfer of ownership, the licensing of the right of exploitation or
the assignment of that right, or a pledge or cancellation of a pledge, in respect of an
application for registration of a layout-design (topography) of an integrated circuit shall, on
pain of invalidity, be evidenced in writing.
Article 19
Recording of Acts in the Special Register
(1) The acts referred to in the preceding Article shall not be binding on third parties
unless they are entered in the Special Register of Layout-Designs kept by the Organization; a
record of such acts shall be kept by the Organization.
(2) Subject to the conditions established by regulation, the Organization shall furnish to
any person who so requests a copy of the entries in the Special Register of Layout-Designs,
and also a record of the entries concerning layout-designs that are the subject of a pledge, or a
certificate attesting the absence of any such entries.
Article 20
Licensing Contract
(1) The holder of a layout-design may, by contract, grant to a person, whether natural
person or legal entity, a license enabling him to exploit the protected layout-design.