A registered topography is an unexamined industrial property right with a maximum term of 10 years. According to the Semiconductor Protection Act, which regulates topography protection, three-dimensional structures of microelectronical semiconductor products (topographies) can be protected. The topography to be protected must have individual character, i.e. it must not be a mere reproduction of another topography and must represent a noncommon result of intellectual work.

The application for topography protection can be filed up to 2 years after the first non-confidential commercial use of the topography. The protection extends only to the topography as such, but not to the designs, processes, systems, techniques underlying the topography or to the information stored in a microelectronic semiconductor product.