我國代工業者美國專利法上默示授權抗辯

Abstract

代工生產模式為我國製造業重心，我國代工業者無論以代客生產（Foundry）或委託外包生產（Have Made）模式經營，皆不能避免國際專利權人之侵權訴訟挑戰。其中，不侵權抗辯之一的默示授權主張，性質上界於專利法與契約法二者競合領域，透過一般契約法解釋原則釐清專利權人締約過程中行為效力和授權契約書面條款內容真意，影響專利權人排他權行使範圍。

代工生產模式於商業互動上和客戶以及專利權人形成三角關係，客戶和代工業者其中任何一方與專利權人之間授權契約存否、授權範圍之認定等問題，往往亦同時影響他方行為之法律評價，本文以質性方式研究授權實務，並以美國契約法重要解釋原則和相關專利訴訟案件探討以默示授權解釋肯認授權關係存在之可能性，對代工業者而言因此格外重要。

於國際智慧財產案件的重要爭訟國家，美國的專利案件發展歷程中，曾見法院未嚴加區分默示授權與權利耗盡之差異，而混淆討論二者成立要件和效力，然隨著學說案例發展，明顯可見二者仍具差異，雖然在法律效果上，此二抗辯同為對專利權人控制權之限制，然權利耗盡涉及專利產品物權變動之法律上評價，乃對世關係；默示授權則著重交易相對人之間權利義務關係之釐清確認，而有不同考量重點。

除了依據以上差異釐清，對代工業者而言，默示授權抗辯對解釋委託外包生產（Have Made）經營模式下，未經專利權人直接授權即可合法實施專利產品生產不可或缺；而權利耗盡抗辯則使代客生產（Foundry）模式經營之代工業者可以合法拓展業務，廣泛銷售專利產品，本文也進一步探討，我國代工生產發展出的全球產銷服務形態是否影響其所得主張之相關抗辯。

The Patent Act enable patentees through forbidding third parties to make, use, sell, offer to sell, and import the patented innovation to foreclose competition. Meanwhile, The Patent Act also explains that “patents shall have the attributes of personal property” one result of this characterization is that patentee could license their rights to others. To legally practice the patented innovation, one has to obtain patentee’s agreement, or buy patented produvt from authorized sale. In the absence of express agreement from the patentee, the potential infringer may claim implied infringement immunity under two doctrine: implied license and patent exhaustion. According to the leading case De Forest v. U.S.:” No formal granting of a license is necessary in order to give it effect. Any language used by the owner of the patent or any conduct on his part exhibited to another, from which that other may properly infer that the owner consents to his use of the patent in making or using it, or selling it, upon which the other acts, constitutes a license,and a defense to an action for a tort.” Implied license could occur in varied situations. By studying cases selected from Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court, this article try to analyze elements of implied license and the difference between implied license and exhaustion, and how contract language and patentees’ conduct influence construction of a contract.