Intellectual Property (IP) covers all rights that are generated by one's creative intellectual efforts. Being intangible, intellectual property has no material existence but is, nevertheless, a valuable asset with substantial commercial value. With the knowledge gleaned from Intellectual Property for Integrated Circuits, integrated circuit (IC) designers will possess a substantial understanding of the numerous forms of intellectual property and their underlying laws and governing principles to efficiently protect and exploit their own inventions and benefit financially from those rights.

Intellectual Property for Integrated Circuits provides integrated circuit inventors with up-to-date knowledge in intellectual property rights in order to be more self-reliant and not solely dependent on patent attorneys. The idea of "Leave the Law to the Lawyers" is clearly outdated because patent attorneys will not be as knowledgeable in technological respects as inventors and consequently may lead to insufficient protection to which inventors expect and are entitled. However, this book is not a replacement for patent attorneys. Patent attorneys are paid by the hour, therefore if inventors are equipped with a working knowledge of IP law and can effectively search for and interpret prior art; they can significantly reduce the number of hours spent with attorneys. At the same time it will ensure that both inventors and patent attorneys understand one another.