The Shura Council in the Kingdom of Bahrain approved, on July 4, 2005, a draft law for layout designs of integrated circuits, The Bahrain Tribune reported.
"The government has approved three industrial property laws and is reviewing other laws to further the creativity of inventors and protect their inventions by registering them with the proposed National Copyright Office,” said Dr. Hassan Fakhro, Bahraini minister of Industry and Commerce.
The Minister added that the draft law was part of a plan to protect intellectual property rights of electronic inventions.
Dr. Fakhro pointed out that the Kingdom would protect inventions for a period stipulated by Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (TRIPS).
"The draft law is part of the Kingdom’s preparations to join the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),” he noted.