The layout of a semiconductor product is a unique spatial arrangement of the elements of an integrated circuit that ensures its functioning. This topography is the result of a complex engineering design and is considered an object of intellectual property rights that deserves proper legal protection.
In 2024, Ukraine officially registered the layout of a semiconductor product for the first time. This is a landmark event not only for the domestic intellectual property sector, but also for the innovation environment in general. It demonstrates the state’s readiness to support high-tech developers by protecting the results of their creative, scientific and technical activities in accordance with international standards.
Details of the registration
On April 23, 2025, the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations (UNOIPI) registered semiconductor product layouts for the first time in more than a decade. After a long pause in the receipt of applications for this intellectual property (until 2019 – topographies of integrated circuits), positive decisions were made on three applications filed by ND Production LLC.
These registrations mark the resumption of the practice of legal protection of semiconductor technologies in Ukraine. All three registered designs relate to controllers for electric charging stations (hereinafter referred to as “ESS”), which are critical elements of the electric transport infrastructure. This is not only a step towards strengthening the position of Ukrainian developers in the global market, but also a symbol of our country’s return to high standards of innovation in this area.
The awarding of the first certificates of registration of semiconductor product layouts in many years was a significant event for the professional community. It united developers, patent attorneys and representatives of the public sector around a common goal – to develop Ukraine’s technological potential and ensure proper legal protection of innovations. This step caused a considerable resonance, as evidenced by the comments of the key participants in the process.
“This is a truly significant event for us. These are the first design certificates issued in Ukraine after a long break,” emphasized Olena Orliuk, Director of UNOIPI, during the presentation of design registration certificates to the applicant’s representatives and patent attorneys who supported the process: Leonid Cherepov and Tatiana Lisna.
“We at UNOIPI actively support the development of the semiconductor industry – not only at the stage of creation, but also at the stage of their commercialization. We are looking forward to new promising applications and believe that this matter is of strategic importance for the victory and development of our country,” said Igor Parenchuk, Deputy Director of UNOIPI.
Yuriy Malyshev, a representative of the company that submitted the design for registration and one of the authors of the design, said that this event was significant for him:
“Since school, I have been fascinated by electronics, designing and drawing circuit boards. And today we have developments that are already superior in quality to Chinese and other analogues – we have orders from Europe, and we are proud of this. We want to preserve the Ukrainian name and work in Ukraine for Ukraine.”
“As a patent attorney, I have always wanted to ensure that the layouts in Ukraine are properly protected by law,” said Leonid Cherepov, ”This case is an important signal to other developers: it is worth not only creating unique things but also protecting them. The revival of the practice of registering this intellectual property is a powerful impetus for the entire industry.”
The first state registration of a semiconductor product layout in Ukraine is not only a landmark event for the intellectual property sector, but also an important step towards the integration of Ukrainian technological developments into the global innovation space. This event demonstrates that Ukraine is gradually creating an effective legal environment for the protection of the latest intellectual property, including those that were previously outside the scope of active legal regulation.
The protection of integrated circuit layouts is not only a matter of law, but also of the economy, national security and scientific and technological potential of the country. After all, it is in such “invisible” technological solutions that competitive advantages are born, and unique products are created that can compete in the international market. Recognition of rights to such objects encourages investors, developers and startups to work in Ukraine rather than take their innovations abroad in search of protection.
In addition, this event demonstrates Ukraine’s gradual approximation to European and global standards of intellectual property protection, where technological solutions are recognized not only as the result of creative thought but also as a strategic resource of the state. And the more such examples appear, the more obvious the message becomes: intellectual property in Ukraine is not just a formality, but a real tool for the development and protection of innovations.
Our law firm will be happy to advise and assist you in protecting such an interesting and complex object, please contact us if you need.
copyright / intellectual property / state registration / topographies of integrated circuits
