CIRCUIT LAYOUTS ACT 1989

This compilation was prepared on 1 July 2007
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 21 of 2007

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney‑General's Department, Canberra

Contents

Part 1--Preliminary 1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Extension to external Territories ......................................................... 1

4............ Act binds the Crown .......................................................................... 1

5............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 1

6............ Residence not affected by temporary absence ................................... 3

7............ Application to circuit layouts made before commencement .............. 3

8............ Commercial exploitation ..................................................................... 4

9............ Exclusive right ..................................................................................... 4

10.......... Making an eligible layout .................................................................... 4

11.......... Originality ........................................................................................... 4

12.......... Licence of owner of EL rights ............................................................. 5

13.......... Substantial part of eligible layout ....................................................... 5

14.......... References to all joint makers ............................................................. 5

15.......... References to any one or more joint makers ....................................... 5

Part II--EL rights in eligible layouts 6

Division 1--Ownership and nature of EL rights 6

16.......... Ownership of EL rights ...................................................................... 6

17.......... Nature of EL rights ............................................................................. 6

18.......... EL rights to subsist without regard to makers who are not eligible persons 7

Division 2--Infringement of EL rights 8

19.......... Infringement ........................................................................................ 8

Division 3--Acts that are not infringements of EL rights 9

20.......... Innocent commercial exploitation ....................................................... 9

21.......... Copying for private use ...................................................................... 9

22.......... Copying for research or teaching purposes ...................................... 10

23.......... Evaluation or analysis ....................................................................... 10

24.......... Commercial exploitation of eligible layouts previously exploited under licence 10

25.......... Use for purposes of defence or security .......................................... 11

Part III--Remedies for infringements of El rights 13

Division 1--Preliminary 13

26.......... Application of Part to counterclaims ............................................... 13

Division 2--Actions by owner of EL rights 14

27.......... Actions for infringement ................................................................... 14

28.......... Limitation of actions ......................................................................... 14

Division 3--Proceedings where EL rights subject to exclusive licence 15

29.......... Application ....................................................................................... 15

30.......... Rights of exclusive licensee ............................................................... 15

31.......... Joinder of owner or exclusive licensee as a party ............................. 15

32.......... Defences available against exclusive licensee .................................... 16

33.......... Assessment of damages where exclusive licence granted .................. 16

34.......... Apportionment of profits between owner and exclusive licensee .... 16

35.......... Separate actions in relation to the same infringement ....................... 16

36.......... Liability for costs ............................................................................. 17

Division 4--Proof of facts in actions 18

37.......... Presumptions as to subsistence and ownership of EL rights ........... 18

38.......... Affidavit evidence ............................................................................. 18

39.......... Evidentiary labels ............................................................................. 18

Division 5--Jurisdiction and appeals 20

40.......... Exercise of jurisdiction ...................................................................... 20

41.......... Appeals ............................................................................................ 20

Part IV--Miscellaneous 21

42.......... Eligible foreign countries ................................................................... 21

43.......... Limitation on power of courts to grant relief in proceedings under this Act 21

44.......... Prospective ownership of EL rights ................................................. 21

45.......... Assignments and licences of EL rights ............................................. 22

46.......... Groundless threats of legal proceedings ........................................... 22

47.......... Jurisdiction of Federal Court of Australia ........................................ 23

48.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 23

49.......... Consequential amendments of other Acts ........................................ 23

Schedule--Consequential amendments 24

Notes 25

Notes to the Circuit Layouts Act 1989

Note 1

The Circuit Layouts Act 1989 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 28, 1989 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Circuit Layouts Act 1989	28, 1989	22 May 1989	Ss. 1 and 2: Royal Assent Remainder: 1 Oct 1990 (see Gazette 1990, S261)
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 1990	115, 1990	21 Dec 1990	Part 3 (ss. 40-48): Royal Assent (a)	--
Australian Citizenship (Transitionals and Consequentials) Act 2007	21, 2007	15 Mar 2007	Schedules 1-3: 1 July 2007 (see s. 2(1) and F2007L01653) Remainder: Royal Assent	--

ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
S. 5......................................	am. No. 115, 1990; No. 21, 2007
S. 14....................................	am. No. 115, 1990
Ss. 20-23............................	am. No. 115, 1990
S. 25....................................	am. No. 115, 1990
S. 42....................................	am. No. 115, 1990

Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

CIRCUIT LAYOUTS ACT 1989 - NOTES