美國專利法第271條(g)項「方法專利侵權」之研究

Abstract

美國專利法在1988年增加了第271條(g)項，增訂該項的主要原因是為了解決修法前專利法對方法專利權保護不週的缺失。修法前，美國專利法僅對於未經方法專利權人授權而「於美國境內」使用方法專利的行為，認為是侵權行為。至於，「於美國境外利用方法專利製造產品，然後將該產品進口到美國境內的行為，或於美國境內為販賣之要約、銷售或使用該等產品的行為」則不認為是侵權行為，因為使用方法專利的行為是發生在美國境外，且如果利用方法專利所生產的產品本身並不存在任何其他美國物品專利，則此時進口、銷售或使用此等產品等行為，依照舊有的美國專利法，並無相關法條可管。正因為立法的缺漏，才有1988年美國專利法第271條 (g) 項的增訂，給予方法專利權人對於「於海外利用其方法專利所製造之產品，然後將之進口到美國境內，於美國境內銷售或使用該產品等行為」得主張侵害方法專利權，得請求排除侵害行為之繼續，如受有損害亦得請求損害賠償。 但由於該條款歷時尚短，雖有相關條文文義解釋與判例法之產生，但未見有系統的整理與研究。 在美國方法專利制度中，以美國專利法271條（g）項對外國廠商影響最鉅。如前所述，由於台灣廠商多以代工為主，且以美國為主要銷售市場，無論是無心侵害美國方法專利或故意剽竊，都有可能該當美國專利法第271條（g）項規定內容，成為侵權行為而須負損害賠償責任。除了第271條（g）項外，美國專利法內尚有其他條款涉及方法專利，例如，美國專利法第101條明文規定「方法」可為專利之標的；美國專利法第154條規定專利權的內容與期間；美國專利法第287條規定損害及其他賠償之限制、標示及通知；美國專利法第295條規定侵權推定條款；甚至美國聯邦民事訴訟程序規則第11條規定專利權人的訴前調查義務。上述有關法條，不僅規範美國方法專利權的實質內容，也旁及程序內容，如欠缺其一，可能會影響到美國方法專利權的執行與效力。 正因美國專利法第271條(g)項、有關條款及相關案例法所建構的方法專利制度是如此的複雜，而且該制度的存在對國內廠商卻有如此重要之影響，本文希望能將美國方法專利制度有關的法條規定、學說、法官判斷標準、甚或是判例法做一蒐集、整理與研究，並提出建議，期能提供國內產業參考，以避免因不了解美國方法專利制度所誤生的侵權行為。 同於於本論文文末，對我國專利法目前立法上所可能產生之問題提出討論與建議。期望對於我國方法專利之保護可由法制面去改善。

In 1988, Congress enacted legislation that substantially increased the patent infringement liability of foreign manufacturers who import products made by the U.S. process patent into the United States. This legislation is the Process Patent Amendments Act of 1988. Before Congress enacted the Process Patent Amendments Act of 1988, someone other than the patent-holder or its licensee lawfully could use a patented process outside of the United States to manufacture a product that eventually would be sold within the United States without violating U.S. patent law.

In 1988 the Process Patent Amendments Act of 1988 revised and enacted the U.S. patent law, especially legislated 35 U.S.C.§ 271(g). This new section increased the protection of the process patent-holder. Anyone without the authority granted by the process patented-hold uses the process patent oversea to produce the product, and then import the same into the U.S.A. is deemed as an infringer of the process patent under 35 U.S.C.§ 271(g).

35 U.S.C.§ 271(g) seriously impacts the Taiwanese manufacturers, since most of the products are imported in to American market. Without knowing the process patent system, Taiwanese manufacturers may not avoid the risk of patent infringement liability claimed by the patent owner.

35 U.S.C.§ 271(g) had been legislated less than 2 decades until now, therefore, the case law related to this section or the interpretation of the same are still little and ambigus. This thesis collected and introduced recent cases and articles related to 35 U.S.C. §271(g) and others, hopefully the materials and advices within this thesis may help Taiwanese manufacturers from violating the U. S. Process patent.

At the last paragraph of this thesis, I discussed some issues of the Patent Law of R.O.C regarding to the process patent, meanwhile I provided some suggestions and advices against the Patent Law of R.O.C based on the conclusion of each chapter of this thesis.