TR IPS 协定下为公众健康限制商标使用的合法性评析

对于澳大利亚为公众健康限制商标使用权而出台的烟草通用包装法案是否违反了TRIPS协定,众说纷纭。支持和反对该法案者的三个争议焦点是:限制烟草商标的使用是否违反TRIPS协定中有关商标注册条款、TRIPS协定赋予商标权人肯定性权利还是否定性权利,以及为保护公众健康限制烟草商标使用能否构成妨碍商标使用的合理措施。结合TRIPS相关条款解释及WTO类似案例的专家组和上诉机构裁决,并对上述争议焦点逐一展开论述,确定为公众健康限制商标使用权的成员国没有违反TRIPS协定下的义务。

The Legality Analysis of Restrictions on Trademark Use for Public Health under the TRIPS Agreement

There are controversies over the opinions that whether the Australia Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill （2011 ） for the benefit of public health has violated the TRIPS agreement. Three aspects of such contro- versies are summarized as follows. Whether restrictions on trademark use have violated provisions pertinent to trademark registrations in the TRIPS agreement？ Are trademark rights granted by the TRIPS agreement positive or negative？ Whether restrictions on trademark use for public health are ＂justifiable encumbrance＂ to reasona- ble use of trademark？ Further, these controversies are illustrated respectively with regard to interpretations of pertinent provisions in the TRIPS agreement and verdicts made by the appeal body and the panel in similar WTO cases. Finally, the article reaches a conclusion that the member state who takes restrictive measures on trademark use for public health does not violate the duties under TRIPS agreement.