欧盟过境货物知识产权保护最新态势——兼评欧洲法院“NOKIA”案和“PHILLIPS”案

自2008年10月以来,在欧盟一些海关屡屡发生过境货物遭到扣押的事件,尤其是荷兰海关屡次扣押印度等国的过境药品,引起国际社会的极大关注.英国和比利时法院分别在审理“NOKIA”案和“PHIILIPS”案过程中对过境货物是否扣押产生疑问,并向欧洲法院提出咨询.近期欧洲法院对两案合并审理,做出一项里程碑意义的判决,厘清了过境货物、 “虚拟制造”理论等基本问题,对欧盟海关的知识产权执法和法院司法都有很好的指导作用,对于我国政府和企业也不无裨益.

The Latest Situation in the Intellectual Property Protection on Transition Goods in Europe:Comment on the Decision of CJEU on the Case of NOKIA and PHILLIPS

Since October 2008, the transition goods were often seized in many European customs, especially in Netherlands, which seized many transition goods from India and other countries and caused concerns in international society. In the case of "Nokia" (C-495/09)and "Phillips" (C-446/09), the Court of Appeal (England and Wales) (Civil Division) and the Rechtbank van eerste aanleg te Antwerpen (Belgium) were confused about whether they can seize transition goods, so referred them to the Court of Justice of European Union(CJEU). Recently, the CJEU made a landmark decision on the two cases, and clarified the basic problems such as transition goods and "manufacture fiction" theory in Netherlands. The decision is a good guidance to the enforcement of intellectual property for European customs and courts, and is also helpful to our government and companies.