A Bridge Between Copyright and Patent Law: Towards a Modern-Day Reapplication of the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act

Authors

Timothy T. Hsieh, Berkeley LawFollow

Keywords

SCPA, 17 U.S.C. 901, 17 U.S.C. 902, 17 U.S.C. 903, 17 U.S.C. 904, Semiconductor Chip Protection Act, circuitboard design, copyright, patent, Brooktree v. Advanced Micro Devices, Altera v. Clear Logic, piracy, reverse engineering, mask work, photolithography, microfabrication, research and development, R&D

Abstract

This Paper analyzes the history of the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act (SCPA), 17 U.S.C. §§ 901–914, and asks why the statute is so seldom used in intellectual property litigation. Afterwards, this Paper makes the argument that the SCPA should be used more in intellectual property litigation, perhaps in tandem with patent litigation, and can be a viable form of protection for semiconductor micro-fabrication companies or integrated circuit design companies engaged in pioneering innovations within the cutting-edge field of semiconductor technology.

Recommended Citation

Timothy T. Hsieh, A Bridge Between Copyright and Patent Law: Towards a Modern-Day Reapplication of the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act, 28 Fordham Intell. Prop. Media & Ent. L.J. 729 (2018).
Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/iplj/vol28/iss4/1