由美國Bilski v. Kappos案探討商業方法發明之專利適格性

The Patent Eligibility of Business Methods in the Wake of Bilski v. Kappos

陳龍昇(Lung-Sheng Chen)

《臺北大學法學論叢》 84期 (2012/12) Pp. 231-286

https://doi.org/10.6774/TULR.201212.0231

摘要

本文旨在探討美國專利法上商業方法發明專利適格性之相關爭議。美國專利審查及司法實務就商業方法發明之專利適格性，迭有爭論。此議題於2008年In re Bilski 判決暨其後2010年Bilski v. Kappos再次受矚。美國聯邦巡迴上訴法院於前者判決中雖未否定「商業方法發明」之專利適格，惟認應以「機械或轉換判斷標準」作為商業方法發明專利適格性之審查依據。案經上訴聯邦最高法院，聯邦最高法院除重申並非所有商業方法發明均不真專利適格之立場，並指出前開「機械或轉換審查標准」並非判斷「商業方法發明」專利適格的唯一標準。雖此，聯邦最高法院並未進一步於判決中提出具體的審查標準，日後商業方法發明專利適格性之判斷，仍留有解釋空間。經分析前述二則判決（含「多數意見」及「協同意見」）及其他相關司法實務、評論意見後，本文認為聯邦最高法院雖於Bilski判決中否定「所有商業方法發明均不具專利適格」之主張，惟此立場未來到非無變動可能。又， 聯邦最高法院在本案中仍未建立審查商業方法發明專利適格性的明確標準，致實務上爭議頻仍，此部分應循立法方式解決為宜。另本案判決後，美國專利審查實務與聯邦巡迴上訴法院仍繼續適用此機械或轉換判斷標準於商業方法發明， 甚至擴及適用於其他方法發明之專利適格判斷，未來如貫徹此標準，則凡未涉及「特定機械」或「具體有形轉換」之「純粹」方法發明，恐難於美國獲准專利。就此標準之內涵而言，本文則認為其仍有不明之處，猶待近一步「細緻化」、「具體化」各該要件之內涵。此外，經本文比較我國專利實務對於「商業方法發明」之立場，我國專利實務雖於「商業方法發明與電腦軟體技術結合」範圍內肯認「商業方法發明」之專利適格，惟此立場是否過於侷限，仍有討論空間。又，美國專利實務現正積極努力建立各類方法發明之專利適格審查標準，其未來發展趨勢如何，自當密切觀察。

關鍵字

商業方法 ； 專利適格性 ； 機械或轉換判斷標準 ； 製程專利 ； 美國專利法 ； 電腦軟體專利 ； Bilski

並列摘要

This article examines issues of the patent eligibility of business methods in the United States. The patent eligibility of business methods has continued to generate fierce debates in the United State. Controversies over the patent subject matter have been raised again after the 2008 In re Bilski decision. The Federal Circuit held in that case that the ”machine-or-transformation test” was the sole test in deciding whether a method is a patentable process. Latter in Bilski v. Kappo (2010), the U .S. Supreme Court rejected a categorical exclusion of business method patents. In particular, the Supreme Court noted that the ”machine-or-transformation test” was not the sole test for patent-eligible subject matter. The Supreme Court, however, did not introduce a nuanced test on the patentability of business method or process invention.After critically reviewing the Bilski case (including the Federal Circuit's opinion and the Supreme Court's majority and concurring opinions) and other judicial and commentary opinions, the author argues that, while the Supreme Court rejected a categorical exclusion of business method patents, a change of this position is not impossible when the Supreme Court revisits this issue in the recent future. While most members of the U.S. IP community expect the Supreme Court to articulate a nuanced test, the author contends that Congress should take the responsibility to establish a uniform framework for patent-eligible subject matter. Cases subsequent to Bilski suggest that even after the Supreme Court's Bilski decision, the Federal Circuit continued to use its ”machine-or-transformation test.” As such, a ”pure” business method (meaning that it does not involve any machine or transformation) may not be patented if the ”machine-or-transformation test” still prevails in American patent law. In addition, the author argues that the Federal Circuit should further shape the two-prong ”machine-or-transformation test” to make it more precise and predictable.Comparatively, Taiwan's patent law recognizes business method's patentability only if the business method is operated by a computer software. The author argues that Taiwan's approach to treating business method patents is likely to be more restrictive than that in the United States. Hence, a revision of this approach is advisable in light of the development of business method patent law in the United States.

並列關鍵字

business method ； patent eligibility ； machine or transformation test ； process patent ； the United State patent law ； software patent ； Bilski

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