96/644/EC: Council Decision of 11 November 1996 on the extension of the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products to persons from the Isle of Man

Member States shall extend the right to legal protection under Directive 87/54/EEC as follows: (a) natural persons who are nationals of the Isle of Man or who have their habitual residence in the territory of the Isle of Man shall be treated in the same way as nationals of a Member State; (b) companies or other legal persons from the Isle of Man which have a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment there shall be treated as if they had a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment in the territory of a Member State.

This Decision shall apply from 1 January 1996. Member States shall extend the right to protection under this Decision to the persons referred to in Article 1 until such time as the Isle of Man is bound by the provisions of the Agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights following the exension of the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization to the Isle of Man. Any exclusive rights acquired under Decisions 87/532/EEC, 90/511/EEC, 94/828/EC or under this Decision shall continue to produce their effects for the period laid down under Directive 87/54/EEC.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.