China declares it is now the leading global chipmaking power — mainly because it just changed the definition of…
- China's State Council published a revised integrated-circuit layout-design regulation, deleting the words "semiconductor integrated circuit" from its definitions article, essentially rewriting what it considers an integrated circuit
- The regulation does retain mentions of "semiconductor material substrate", but chooses to expand on its definition in a separate clause
- It also expressly extends protection to photonic and quantum chip design layouts from October 2026
China's State Council has published the revised Regulations on the Protection of Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits, the first systematic rewrite of a text that had sat untouched since April 2001.
The revision was adopted at the State Council's 91st executive meeting on July 10, 2026, promulgated as Decree No. 842 on July 23, and takes effect on October 15, 2026.
The change drawing the attention is also the smallest in the document which saw "semiconductor integrated circuit" struck from the front of the definitions article, so...
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