China's first case study of exclusive rights to layouts of integrated circuits

China Resources Galway Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. v. Nanjing Yuanzhifeng Technology Co., Ltd. infringed the exclusive right of the layout design of integrated circuits, and it has recently been decided by the Nanjing Intermediate People's Court of Jiangsu Province. According to the “Regulations on the Protection of Topographies of Integrated Circuits”, the court found that Feng Zhifeng has infringed on the proprietary layout design rights of China Resources, and supported China Resources’ efforts to request the source to stop the infringement and claim damages. It is reported that this case is the first domestic case of exclusive right of layout-distribution of integrated circuits and has set a good example for how to protect Chinese companies' integrated circuit layout design.

Founded in 2004, China Resources Power Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is a chip design company specializing in analog IC products. It focuses on power management and LED lighting. China Resources Converse has a world-class R&D team for analog integrated circuits. Several senior returnees of the company have once been responsible for major R&D tasks in the United States' leading analog IC design companies and have obtained a number of technical invention patents. In 2009, China Resources was awarded 34th place in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific.

The PT4115 product that was infringed was a high-power LED constant current source driver chip for LED lighting. In July 2008, it was awarded the "Registration Certificate of Integrated Circuit Layout Design" by the State Intellectual Property Office. In April 2009, China Resources Junwei discovered that the defendant used reverse analysis to obtain data on the specific electrical parameters, components, structures, dimensions, and internal structures of the PT4115, which were copied to form infringing products and sold at low prices in the market. In order to protect the company’s core interests from infringement, it appealed to the court for protection.

Ling Hui, general manager of China Resources, said: "The IC design industry is a knowledge-driven and technology-driven industry. Intellectual property rights are the driving force behind the sustainable development of the company. Since its inception, CR Power has continued to invest in technological innovation and has been cultivating LED technology. Research and development: As of the end of August this year, the company had approved 7 patents, 22 registrations for registration protection, and more than 10 patents in the application. The purpose of the action was not only the company’s crackdown on unlawful infringement. In order to demonstrate the company’s determination to defend intellectual property, the protection of intellectual property rights of high-tech companies cannot be separated from the support of the general environment, including the active awareness of rights protection in the industry and the perfect legal mechanism. We express our judgment on the Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court. We are pleased to have confidence in China's increasingly perfect intellectual property protection system."