中美实用艺术品著作权保护比较研究——兼论我国实用艺术品著作权保护的路径

实用艺术品的著作权保护问题实质上是如何确立著作权保护范围及标准的问题。我国现行《著作权法》并未将实用艺术品作为受保护客体,但也并未将其排除在著作权保护范围之外。而美国在实用艺术品的著作权保护上于立法层面是非常清晰的,在《1976年版权法》中已明确将其列为受保护客体,美国法院的诸多判例也影响了实用艺术品著作权保护研究的方向。本文梳理了中美两国实用艺术品的著作权保护问题的历史沿革及现状,总结归纳了两国具有代表性的判例,以求通过对比提炼出两国著作权法及司法实践中存在的问题。美国的相关立法及其司法裁判经验对于我国实用艺术品的著作权保护具备重要借鉴价值。

Comparative Study of Copyright Protection of Works of Applied Art in China and US: Concurrently Discussing Chinese Path of Copyright Protection of Works of Applied Art

The problem of copyright protection of works of applied art in nature is the problem of scope and standard of copyright protection. Even though the currently effective Chinese Copyright Law does not include works of applied art as protectable subject matter of Copyright Law, the law does not exclude works of applied art from copyright protection. In United States, the Copyright Act of 1976 has already put works of applied art into the categories of subject matter of copyright protection. Also, many judicial precedent of the United States has greatly affected the approach of legal research on this problem. This essay goes through the history and current situation of copyright protection of works of applied art in both China and the United States, as well as representative and milestone cases in the two countries, through which to summarize the existing problems of the law and legal practice. The United States has comparatively well-developed legislation background and applicable legal standard, both of which would add great value to the legislation and legal practice in China.