設計專利侵權判斷之研究—以美國法為中心

Abstract

設計專利自 2011 年 Apple 公司與 Samsung 公司的專利大戰以來，一改其過往經常被忽略的狀態，逐漸受到矚目，而其實質的權利範圍係由所得成立侵權之範圍所決定，因此，本文擬以美國法為參考，探討設計專利侵權之判斷法則。 美國聯邦巡迴上訴法院於 2008 年作成對美國設計專利侵權判斷法則影響重大的 Egyptian Goddess, Inc. v. Swisa, Inc.案聯席判決，該判決中否定以詳細文字化解釋申請專利範圍之必要性，指謫新穎特徵檢測法（point of novelty test）違背整體觀察原則，有悖於設計之本質，故將之廢棄，並以將先前技藝內化入普通觀察者檢測法（ordinary observer test）代之。此一見解重申符合整體觀察原則與圖式描述之重要性，使得設計專利之侵權判斷法則重新切合設計之本質。 而自該判決，本文發現藉由將侵權成立之限制納入普通觀察者檢測法內，似得以在維持整體觀察原則之前提下，達成合理限制專利範圍之目的，此外，由該判決中亦得發現侵權判斷程序中可能含有在實際操作上使判斷結果偏離整體觀察原則之危險，均值得我國參考。 接著，本文將此一發現用以檢討我國目前採用之設計專利侵權判斷法則，發現目前採用之部分規定有值得檢討、改進之空間。本文並試著提出可能的修正辦法，並在最後提出對於相關業者之建議，期能對我國實務工作有所助益。

Since the patent war between Apple and Samsung in 2011, design patents, which were often ignored in the past, began to take the center stage. The substantial scope of design patents depends on the scope that they can successfully claim infringement. Therefore, this study will center on the infringement test for design patent in terms of the U.S. perspective. In 2008, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) caused a revolution in the infringement test for design patent in its en banc decision in Egyptian Goddess, Inc. v. Swisa, Inc.. In the en banc decision, CAFC denied the necessity of detailed verbalized claim construction and overturned the point of novelty test since it overruled the principle that designs ought to be viewed as a whole, which is the nature of design. The point of novelty test was replaced by amended ordinary observer test, which connected the prior arts with ordinary observers. This way struck a balance between the restriction of prior arts and the principle that designs ought to be viewed as a whole, and suggested the danger of infringement procedure that cause the outcome to obey the principle. We can learn a lesson from the en banc decision. With these findings, the study goes back to the infringement test for design patent in Taiwan to see if any problem exist, and find there are some rules to improve. This study tries to offer some possible suggestions to resolve those problems and suggestions for those who own design patents. Hope this study could benefit current practices.