Law of Patents Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits 1

If a person, in good faith, manufactures a product, utilizes an industrial process, manufactures an integrated circuit incorporating a layout design or a commodity including such a circuit, exploits a plant variety, or makes serious arrangements therefor, before the date of filing the patent application, or the priority application relating to that product, process, design, plant variety, date of first commercial exploitation of the design anywhere in the world, such party shall be entitled – despite the issuance of the protection document – to continue to perform these acts without expanding them. This right shall not be assigned or transferred to others except with all parts of the firm or one of them including goodwill.