中美知识产权“刑事门槛”争端的法律问题

2007年4月美国就中国知识产权刑事保护机制问题提交WTO争端解决机构(DSB)以寻求解决。这是DSB受理的第一起就知识产权刑事保护机制问题所引发的争端。本案的争议核心是如何解释作为"刑事门槛"的《TRIPS协定》第61条所规定的"商业规模"。通过DSB解释实践,可以看出,"商业规模"的解释主权应属各成员所有,但解释边界受《TRIPS协定》第61条相关条件的限制,中国知识产权刑事保护立法机制符合《TRIPS协定》,没有必要继续下降"刑事门槛"。美国对中国知识产权的施压应由单纯要求"降低刑事门槛"转变为"如何在降低正版产品的价格情况下加大对盗版的刑事打击力度"。

Sino-US Disputes over "Criminal Threshold" for Intellectual Property Rights

In April 2007,the United States filed an application with DSB of WTO alleging that China had no criminal procedures or penalties for commercial scale piracy as a result of "criminal threshold" indicated that China had not fulfilled her obligations under Articles 41.1 and 61 of the TRIPS Agreement.It was the first case concerning how to interpret "commercial scale" in Article 61 of the TRIPS Agreement.This article maintains that while each WTO members is entitled to interpret the term of "commercial scale," the final word is subject to Article 61 of the TRIPS.China's criminal protection in her intellectual property policy is in compliance with the TRIPS Agreement.As such,it is unnecessary for China to lower her "criminal threshold." The US made a wrong application against China's intellectual property policy by simply asking China for lowering "criminal threshold." Indeed,it is best for the US to ask other countries to increase criminal forces against piracy while lowering the price of the original products by itself.