On August 3, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council signed a decree of the State Council to promulgate the revised Regulations on the Protection of Integrated Circuit Layout Designs, which will come into force on October 15, 2026. This marks the first systematic revision of the regulations in over 20 years, with highlights including the inclusion of integrated circuit layout designs with integrated photonic and quantum functions within the scope of protection, addressing challenges in intellectual property protection for novel integrated circuits. The revisions primarily include: clarifying overall requirements, expanding the scope of protection, and emphasizing good faith; improving application and review procedures, regulating false applications, and detailing material requirements; strengthening exclusive rights protection, defining standards for determining the scope of rights, and increasing penalties for infringement; promoting the utilization of layout designs, enhancing public services, clarifying reward and compensation measures, refining requirements for transfer, licensing, and pledging, and standardizing the exercise of rights by co-owners.