China on Monday unveiled revised regulations on the protection of integrated circuit layout designs, which will take effect on October 15, 2026, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Comprising 54 articles across six chapters, the regulations aim to protect exclusive rights to integrated circuit layout designs, encourage technological innovation in the sector and promote scientific and technological development.

The revision comes as China is stepping up efforts to strengthen its semiconductor industry, expand domestic innovation capacity and improve intellectual property protection in emerging technologies. Industry experts said it marks an important institutional upgrade to adapt the country's intellectual property framework to the development of very-large-scale integrated circuits, safeguard companies' R&D investment and spur further technological innovation.

The regulations require protection efforts to follow the nation's intellectual property strategy, broaden the scope of protection and uphold the principle of good faith. They also improve application and examination procedures by curbing fraudulent filings, specifying documentation requirements, refining rejection and revocation procedures, and introducing a mechanism for the restoration of rights, per Xinhua.

In a Q&A session on the revision of the rules, officials from the Ministry of Justice and China National Intellectual Property Administration said on Monday that China attaches great importance to intellectual property protection in emerging fields. The current regulations, introduced in 2001, have played a positive role in safeguarding exclusive rights to integrated circuit layout designs and encouraging technological innovation in the sector. However, with the rapid development of integrated circuit technologies and the industry, it has become necessary to revise the regulations to better meet practical needs.

The revision focuses on addressing pressing issues by improving the registration, protection and administration of integrated circuit layout designs, codifying proven practices into administrative regulations, and ensuring alignment with relevant laws, regulations and international treaties, they said.

At the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), China is continuing to strengthen technological capabilities and innovation capacity through policy guidance and institutional support, as the semiconductor industry moves toward higher-quality development.

The regulatory update also comes against the backdrop of sustained growth in China's electronic information manufacturing sector.

Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) showed that China's integrated circuit exports rose 88.7 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year.

MIIT data also showed that China's electronic information manufacturing sector recorded rapid production growth and maintained sound overall momentum in 2025. The value added of major enterprises in the sector rose 10.6 percent year-on-year, 4.7 percentage points faster than overall industrial growth and 1.2 percentage points higher than growth in high-tech manufacturing.

Meanwhile, China produced 484.3 billion integrated circuits in 2025, up 10.9 percent year-on-year.