外观设计专利权的扩张与限缩—以外观设计专利权与其他知识产权的边界为视角

由于知识产权客体的非物质性,外观设计专利权易与其他知识产权发生竞合与冲突,尤其是与实用艺术作品的著作权、商业外观的商标权和基于《反不正当竞争法》保护的合法权益等。伴随着我国司法实践的进展,上述权利竞合与冲突的问题日益严重。同时,外观设计专利权与其他相关知识产权之间亦存在一定差别,需要在权利客体方面有所区分。借鉴美国、英国、德国和法国的法律经验,只有法国给予完全重叠的保护,其他国家均在外观设计专利权的权利客体方面与其他知识产权加以区分。我国应当进一步明晰外观设计专利权与其他知识产权之间的边界,将纯属著作权保护的作品排除在外观设计保护客体之外,例如服装设计、书籍封面设计、动画形象设计、建筑设计、小摆设;将纯属商标权保护的标识排除在外观设计保护客体范围之外,例如在实用功能或形状结构上没有新创造的商品包装盒(包装袋、包装瓶)、店面装饰装潢;对实用功能或形状结构有新创造的设计,可选择获得外观设计专利权或者其他知识产权保护,否则不能获得外观设计专利权保护。

The Expansion and Limitation of Design Patents

The object of intellectual property is intangible, there are some conflicts between design patents and copyright of works of applied art, right of trade dress. The conflicts are distinctly serious with the process of judicial practice. The design patents should be distinguished with other types of intellectual property. Studying legal experience in the United States, Britain, Germany and France, the design could be protected by two types of intellectual property only in France and the objects of different intellectual property are distinguished in other countries. The boundary between the design patent and other intellectual properties should be cleared. The works such as costume designs~ book cover designs, cartoon image designs, architectural designs and bibelot designs should be excluded from the objects of design patent protection. The commercial marks such as commodity packages which have no change in function and structure and store decoration designs should be excluded from the objects of design patent protection. The designs which have changes in function and structure could be granted as design patents or other kinds of intellectual property.