Rules 30 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.
Advertisement in the Journal is what starts the opposition clock. Rule 30 says what the advertisement must contain, rule 31 lets the Registrar publish a notification of a later correction or amendment in place of a second advertisement, and rule 32 lets anyone find out, on Form LD-31, where a particular layout-design was advertised. They give effect to section 10 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. If you track competitors' layout-designs, an IP portfolio management watch routine that reads the Journal is how you meet the opposition periods.
An application that section 10(1) requires to be advertised (or re-advertised under 10(2)) is advertised in the journal with six details: application number, date of acceptance, name and address of the proprietor, brief description, whether the layout-design has been commercially exploited and for how long, and the address of the Registry office where it was filed. For a correction or amendment under section 10(2)(b), the Registrar may instead insert a notification in the journal. Any person may ask on Form LD-31 for the journal number, date and page of an advertisement.
Rule 30: manner of advertisement
"An application for the registration of a layout-design required to be advertised under sub-section (1) of section 10 or to be re-advertised under sub-section (2) of that section shall be advertised in the journal." The journal is the Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Journal published by the Registrar (rule 2(c)); see Rules 1 to 3.
The advertisement gives these details:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| (i) | Application number |
| (ii) | Date of acceptance of the application for registration |
| (iii) | Name and address of the proprietor as given in the application |
| (iv) | Brief description of the layout-design |
| (v) | Whether the layout-design has been commercially exploited, and if so the period of such exploitation |
| (vi) | The address of the office of the Registry where the application is filed |
Why each detail matters
- The application number and date of acceptance locate the file. Section 10(1) requires advertisement within fourteen days after acceptance, and section 11(1) gives three months from the advertisement to oppose; see sections 10 to 12.
- The name and address identify the applicant. The principal place of business or address for service given in the application is what appears.
- The brief description is all a reader sees of the design. The drawings filed under rule 22 are not printed in the advertisement on the text of this rule.
- The commercial exploitation statement is how a reader checks the section 7(1) bar and the two-year proviso. It is the applicant's own statement, so a reader who knows of earlier exploitation can raise it in opposition.
- The office address tells an opponent which office to send the notice to; see Rules 4 to 9.
Rule 31: notification instead of re-advertisement
Section 10(2) of the Act says that where, after advertisement, (a) an error in the application has been corrected or (b) the application has been permitted to be amended under section 12, the Registrar may in his discretion advertise again, or, in a clause (b) case, may notify the correction or amendment in the prescribed manner instead of advertising again.
Rule 31 prescribes that manner: "In the case of an application to which clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 10 applies, the Registrar may, if he so decides, instead of causing the application to be advertised again, insert in the journal a notification setting out":
- the application number;
- the name and address of the principal place of business in India, if any, of the applicant, or the address for service in India of the applicant, or, where the applicant has no principal place of business in India, his address for service in India; and
- the correction or amendment made in the application.
Only clause (b) cases (amendment under section 12) fall under rule 31. A corrected error under clause (a) is left to the Registrar's discretion to re-advertise. The rule does not say that the opposition period starts afresh after a notification; section 11(1) speaks of "the advertisement or re-advertisement", and a notification is neither. Read the Act's words and ask for advice if an amended application is in play. The Act permits correction "at any time" under section 12.
Rule 32: asking for particulars of an advertisement
"Any person may request the Registrar on Form LD-31 to be informed of the number, date and page of the journal in which a layout-design specified in the form was advertised and the Registrar shall furnish such particulars to the person making the request."
Three points. It is open to "any person", not just a party. It asks for three particulars: number, date and page of the journal. And the Registrar "shall" furnish them. A company watching the Journal for a competitor's layout can use Form LD-31 to find the advertisement, and from its date work out the opposition window with a lawyer's help. Form LD-31 may be sent to the head office or the appropriate office under rule 7(2)(b). Schedule I as notified in 2001 lists no entry for Form LD-31; rule 11(2) says a form filed at the Registry is accompanied by the prescribed fee, so check the Registry's forms page for any fee before filing. The forms are listed in Schedule II part 2.
How the rules connect
| Stage | Rule | Act |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance of application | 25 to 27 | 8(3) |
| Advertisement in the journal | 30 | 10(1) |
| Re-advertisement or notification after amendment | 30, 31 | 10(2) |
| Particulars of advertisement | 32 | none |
| Opposition | 33 onwards | 11 |
The opposition rules begin with Rules 33 to 38.
A worked example
A foundry's legal team monitors the Journal for chip layouts that resemble a design it fabricates for a client. It sees an advertisement giving the application number, the date of acceptance, the name and address of a start-up, a brief description, a statement that the layout-design has been commercially exploited for a stated period, and the address of the Registry office where it was filed. The foundry uses the exploitation statement to test the section 7 bar and the office address to send a notice of opposition. A month later the start-up's amendment to its application is notified in the Journal under rule 31 instead of being advertised again; the foundry asks counsel how that affects its opposition timing.
Need help tracking the Journal?
If you want applications in your field tracked, with the opposition window noted for each, our IP portfolio management team can set up the watch.
Key takeaways
- An accepted application is advertised in the Journal with six details, including a statement of commercial exploitation.
- The office address in the advertisement tells an opponent where to file.
- For an amendment under section 12, the Registrar may insert a notification in the Journal instead of advertising again.
- Any person can ask on Form LD-31 for the Journal number, date and page of an advertisement.
- Schedule I lists no fee entry for Form LD-31; check the Registry's forms page.
Read next
- Sections 10 to 12: advertisement in the Act
- Rules 24 to 29: objections and acceptance
- Rules 33 to 38: notice of opposition
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.