Rules 21 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Rules 21 to 23 are the front door of the Rules. Rule 21 prescribes Form LD-21 for preliminary advice on originality, rule 22 prescribes Form LD-1 for the application and lists what must be attached (three sets of drawings or mask photographs, or partly blocked copies if secrecy is requested), and rule 23 adds what an applicant must state and furnish when claiming priority from a convention country. They implement sections 78, 8 and 93 of the Act.
This article reflects the Rules as amended up to G.S.R. 689(E) dated 14 September 2012 (the only amendment). Check sicldr.gov.in for later notifications. A company filing its first layout-design should plan the drawings and the fee with an IP portfolio management team before the form is signed.
Rule 21: preliminary advice under section 78(1) is asked for on Form LD-21 with the prescribed fee (Schedule I, entry 19: Rs 500). Rule 22: the application under section 8(1) is on Form LD-1 (Schedule I, entry 1: Rs 5000), signed by the applicant or agent, with three sets of plotter drawings or mask photographs at not less than 20 times the circuit size; for secrecy, partly blocked drawings may be used. Rule 23: a priority claim under section 93 names the convention country, states the date of the earlier application and furnishes a certificate or other verification.
Fees: a note
Fee amounts in this article are those printed in Schedule I as notified in 2001; the Registry's forms page lists the same amounts (checked 3 October 2026). The full table is in Schedule I. For payment, see Rules 10 and 11.
Rule 21: preliminary advice
"An application for preliminary advice by the Registrar under sub-section (1) of section 78 shall be made on Form LD-21 accompanied by prescribed fee." Schedule I, entry 19, prescribes Rs 500 for a request for the Registrar's preliminary advice under section 78, Form LD-21. The Act's section 78 allows any person who proposes to apply for registration to ask whether the layout-design appears prima facie original; the repayment right in section 78(2) is explained in sections 78 to 82.
Rule 22: the application
22(1): form, fee and signature
"An application to the Registrar for the registration of a layout-design under sub-section (1) of section 8 shall be made on Form LD-1 accompanied by prescribed fee and shall be signed by the applicant or his agent." Schedule I, entry 1: on application to register a layout-design, Rs 5000, Form LD-1. The office at which it is filed is fixed by section 8(2) and rule 4: sections 8 and 9.
22(2): three sets of drawings or photographs
Three sets of one of the following, which clearly describe the layout-design, must be attached. "The size of the drawing or the photograph shall not be less than 20 times the size of the semiconductor integrated circuit fabricated using such layout-design", namely:
- (a) three sets of drawings produced with a plotter which describe the layout-design applied for; or
- (b) three sets of photographs of masks used for the fabrication of the circuit using the layout-design, or drawings which describe the pattern of such masks.
22(3): secrecy
If the applicant requests in writing that the layout-design be kept secret, he "may attach in place of the drawings or photographs specified in sub-rule (2), the three sets of partially blocked drawings or photographs of such layout-design to the satisfaction of the Registrar." The Registrar may inspect the complete drawing or photographs. The blocking must be "to the satisfaction of the Registrar such that it does not hamper the identification of the applied-for layout-design", and "the blocked out area of such drawing or photograph shall not be greater than the area of the remaining portion of layout-design."
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Form | LD-1 with the prescribed fee |
| Signed by | Applicant or his agent |
| Attachments | Three sets of plotter drawings, or mask photographs, or mask-pattern drawings |
| Minimum size | Not less than 20 times the size of the circuit made with the layout-design |
| Secrecy | Written request; three sets of partially blocked copies; Registrar may inspect the full version |
| Limit on blocking | Blocked area not greater than the remaining area; identification must not be hampered |
The Rules also contain rules on documents in general; see Rules 12 to 15. The statement of particulars and the representations in the form itself are described in Schedule II part 1.
Rule 23: priority from a convention country
"Every application claiming priority under section 93 by reason of an application to register the layout-design having been made in a convention country, so declared under this section, which country shall be named, shall state the date of that application and the applicant shall furnish a certificate by the registrar or other registering authority of that country or shall otherwise verify the application made therein to the satisfaction of the Registrar."
Three duties follow: name the country; state the date of the earlier application; and furnish a certificate from the registering authority of that country, or verify the earlier application to the Registrar's satisfaction.
The convention-countries line
A notification under section 93 exists (S.O. 307(E) of 4 February 2014, which supersedes S.O. 2745(E) of 2 December 2011), and its list is on the Registry's website. No country names or count are given here. Section 93 came into force on 15 January 2014. Rule 23 itself does not state a priority period; the text is silent on one, so ask the Registry or a lawyer. See sections 93 to 96.
A worked example
A fabless start-up in Hyderabad wants to know whether its new layout is likely to pass the originality test. It files Form LD-21 under rule 21 with the Rs 500 fee. The advice is affirmative, and within three months it files Form LD-1 with the Rs 5000 fee, signed by its director. It attaches three sets of plotter drawings at not less than 20 times the circuit size. It asks for secrecy and attaches partly blocked drawings, with the blocked area not more than half the layout. The start-up had earlier filed in a convention country; the application names that country, states the date and encloses the certificate of that registering authority.
Need help preparing the application?
If you want the drawings, the form, the fee and any priority claim checked before filing, our IP portfolio management team can prepare the filing set.
Key takeaways
- Preliminary advice is asked for on Form LD-21 (Schedule I, entry 19: Rs 500).
- The application is on Form LD-1 (Schedule I, entry 1: Rs 5000), signed by the applicant or agent.
- Three sets of drawings or mask photographs at not less than 20 times the circuit size are attached.
- For secrecy, partly blocked copies may be attached; the blocked area may not exceed the remaining area.
- A priority claim names the convention country, states the date and furnishes a certificate or other verification.
Read next
- Sections 8 and 9: the application in the Act
- Sections 78 to 82: preliminary advice in the Act
- Schedule II part 1: Forms LD-1 to LD-18
Disclaimer: Based on the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000 (never amended; commencement as notified in 2004, 2011 and 2014) and the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Rules, 2001 as amended by G.S.R. 689(E) of 14 September 2012, as consulted on 3 October 2026. Check sicldr.gov.in for later notifications and current forms and fees. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.