Rules 55 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 55 to 58 put sections 25 and 26 of the Act into practice. Rule 55 says what must go with the joint application on Form LD-13: the agreement, related documents and any price agreement, plus an affidavit with five extra statements. Rule 56 governs the register entry, rule 57 the notice on Form OLD-5 and rule 58 the application to cancel a registered user on Form LD-14 or LD-15.
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. Fees are those in Schedule I as notified in 2001; the Registry's forms page lists the same amounts (checked 3 October 2026). A licence meant to be registered should be prepared with agreement drafting support, so the documents match rule 55 from the start.
The joint application is on Form LD-13 (entry 11: Rs 3000) with the written agreement, related documents and any price agreement, plus a proprietor's affidavit giving the section 25 particulars and five more statements including whether the use is solely for export. The entry shows the dates, the section 25 particulars and the user's name, description and principal place of business. Form OLD-5 notifies the registration and is inserted in the journal. A cancellation application is on Form LD-14 or LD-15 (entries 12 and 13: Rs 1000 each) with a statement of grounds.
Rule 55: the application
55(1): Form LD-13 and the documents
The application under section 25 "shall be made jointly by that person and the registered proprietor of the layout-design on Form LD-13 accompanied by prescribed fee and shall also be accompanied by the following documents":
- (a) the agreement in writing, or a duly authenticated copy, between the proprietor and the proposed user on the permitted use;
- (b) the documents and correspondence, if any, mentioned in that agreement, or authenticated copies; and
- (c) any agreement, or authenticated copy, between them "as regards the price at which the semiconductor integrated circuit incorporating registered layout-design or an article incorporating such a semiconductor integrated circuit should be sold or the maintenance of particular price for such semiconductor integrated circuits or articles."
Schedule I, entry 11: on application under section 25 to register a registered user, Rs 3000, Form LD-13. The section is explained in sections 24 and 25.
55(2): the affidavit
The proprietor, or a person authorised to the Registrar's satisfaction, files an affidavit giving:
| Clause | Content |
|---|---|
| (a) | The particulars and statements required by section 25(1)(b)(i) to (iii): relationship and degree of control, conditions and restrictions, duration |
| (b) | Whether the layout-design has been used by the proprietor in the course of trade before the application date, and if so the amount and duration of that use |
| (c) | Whether the proprietor acquired title to the layout-design by assignment |
| (d) | Whether the proprietor had, before the application, allowed use of the layout-design by any person, and if so by whom |
| (e) | Whether the proposed permitted use is intended solely for export from India |
55(3) and (4)
The proprietor and proposed user "shall also produce and file such other documents and furnish such other evidence and information as may be required" by the Registrar. And where the same proprietor and proposed user make more than one application on the same agreement, the sub-rule (1) documents may be filed with one application and cross-referred in the others, which helps a licence covering several layout-designs.
Rule 56: entry in the register
- 56(1). When rule 55 is complied with, "the Registrar shall register the proposed registered user." This tracks the mandatory "shall register" in section 25(2).
- 56(2). The entry states "the date on which the application for registration of registered user was made and the date of registration of the registered user", and, in addition to the section 25(1)(b) particulars, "the name, description and principal place of business in India of the registered user and if he does not carry on business in India his address for service in India."
Rule 57: notice of registration
"A notice in writing of the registration of the registered user of a layout-design shall be sent by the Registrar to the registered proprietor of the layout-design, to the registered user and to every other registered user whose name is entered in relation to same layout-design on Form OLD-5. This Form shall also be inserted in the journal." So three groups get Form OLD-5, and it also goes into the Journal, where anyone watching can see it. Section 25(3) requires notice to other registered users; the Rule widens it to the proprietor and the new user and adds the Journal insertion. The form is described in Schedule III.
Rule 58: applications to cancel
"An application for the cancellation of the registration of a registered user under clause (a) or clause (b) or clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 26 shall be made on Form LD-14 or Form LD-15, as the case may be, accompanied by prescribed fee and shall be accompanied by a statement of grounds on which it is made."
| Section 26 limb | Form | Fee (Schedule I) |
|---|---|---|
| 26(1)(a): application by the proprietor or a registered user | LD-14 | Entry 12: Rs 1000 |
| 26(1)(b) or (c): application by any person on the listed grounds | LD-15 | Entry 13: Rs 1000 |
Clause (d) of section 26(1), cancellation by the Registrar where the layout-design is no longer registered, is not an application case. The procedure after filing, including the information power on topographical dimensions and the intervention notice on Form LD-16, is in Rules 59 to 62; the Act's grounds are in sections 26 to 29. Forms LD-13 to LD-16 may go to the head office or the appropriate office under rule 7(2)(b).
A worked example
A Hyderabad design company licenses its registered sensor layout to a manufacturer in Gujarat and they apply jointly on Form LD-13 with the Rs 3000 fee. They attach the licence, the side letters it refers to and, because the licence fixes a resale price for the chips, that price agreement. The proprietor's affidavit covers the section 25 particulars and states that it used the layout in trade before the application for a stated period, that it holds title by its own creation and not assignment, that it has earlier allowed another manufacturer to use the layout, and that this use is not solely for export. The Registrar registers the user, enters the dates and the user's principal place of business, and sends Form OLD-5 to the proprietor, the user and any other registered user; it is also inserted in the Journal.
Need help registering a licensee?
If you want a licence structured so that it can be registered smoothly, our agreement drafting team can prepare the agreement, the affidavit and the application together.
Key takeaways
- Form LD-13 (Schedule I, entry 11: Rs 3000) is filed jointly by the proprietor and the proposed user.
- The agreement, related documents and any price agreement accompany it.
- The affidavit adds five statements, including whether the use is solely for export.
- The register entry states dates, particulars and the user's principal place of business or address for service.
- Form OLD-5 notifies registration and goes in the journal; cancellation applications use Forms LD-14 or LD-15 with a statement of grounds.
Read next
- Sections 24 and 25: registered users in the Act
- Sections 26 to 29: cancellation in the Act
- Rules 59 to 62: cancellation procedure
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.