台灣企業面對美國專利訴訟的策略評估模式

U.S. Patent Litigation Strategy Evaluation Model for Taiwanese Enterprises

鄧曉華(Hsiao-Hwa Teng)

指導教授 ： 邱榆淨

中原大學/商學院/企業管理研究所/碩士(2014年)

https://doi.org/10.6840/cycu201400326

摘要

科技發達加上智慧財產權觀念的提升，專利的功能已不僅在表示創新技術的發表，也是對於公司技術的保護，更是企業面對競爭時可作為操作的手段。專利訴訟在實務上有時並不是為了證明對錯，而是作為市場競爭之手段之一，用來干擾市場、打擊對手。處於現今專利訴訟與日俱增的環境，專利訴訟的發生不會只限於大企業，台灣中小型企業亦有可能面臨到跨國的專利訴訟的威脅。
專利訴訟對於公司營運影響甚鉅，在專利訴訟爭議中，和解並不代表認輸，應戰到底也未必就是贏，因此台灣企業一旦面臨到專利訴訟時，必須謹慎面對以維護公司整體營運與利益為最大考量。本研究以決策實驗室分析法 (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory，DEMATEL) 作為分析工具，幫助個案公司在所面臨的美國專利訴訟案中，評估於訴訟初期與訴訟後期之重要關鍵準則，以及各準則之重要性和各準則間之影響性，個案公司可針對所面臨到之專利訴訟中系爭專利、系爭產品、所處產業及市場、以及公司財務之實際狀況，依所得出之重要關鍵準則進行評估是否應繼續應戰或尋求和解。
由本研究的實證分析中可以發現，個案公司在訴訟初期最主要影響準則為產品迴避設計可能性，說明了訴訟一旦發生，個案公司應先就本身產品進行了解，若有侵權可能，則應先思考有無迴避設計之可能，以避開系爭專利的權利範圍，降低系爭專利對產品的威脅強度，也進一步地降低對方可能要求索取之和解金與權利金。訴訟後期最主要影響準則為系爭專利之強度，表示企業未來若要取得訴訟之優勢，主要為取得有價值且具有攻擊性之專利，如此才能有效保護或強化自身之市場地位。

關鍵字

美國專利訴訟 ； 和解 ； 關鍵因素 ； 策略評估模式 ； 決策實驗室分析法

並列摘要

While the world technology has been rapidly developed and improved, the concept of intellectual property rights is also increasing. The function of patents is not only to present the new developed or innovated to the world, but also a protection of the technology. Moreover, it can be manipulated when facing competition in the market. By raising patent litigation is sometimes not prove who is right or wrong, it is a way to compete against others in the market, and to disturb and fight the competitors. As more and more patent litigations being raised nowadays, it would not just happen to the big enterprises. There is also possibility that small and medium sized enterprises may face threats from oversea patent litigations.
Patent litigation may deeply affect the company operation. In the patent litigations, settlement does not mean loss in the competition. On the other hand, fighting for the final judgment does not mean wining in the case. The biggest concern is still the overall company operation and profit. This study will use Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method to help the case company to find out the important key criteria during the beginning stage and later stage of the patent litigation. Help them to evaluate the prominence of each criterion and the relation between criteria. The case company can further evaluate the best strategy, whether to keep fighting or to settle, by evaluating the important criteria with its case situation, such as asserted patents, accused products, industrial and market, and case company’s financial situation.
From the case study and analysis, the study discovered that the case company should carefully study whether its product can be designed around or not in the beginning of the patent litigation stage. If it can be designed around, it would be good for the company to reduce the threat from the patent. By the end of litigation, the scope of patent becomes the most important factor. It also tells the company should focus on having valued and attackable patent in order to protecting the company and keeping competitive.

並列關鍵字

U.S. Patent litigation ； Strategy evaluation model ； Key criteria ； DEMATEL ； Settlement

參考文獻

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中文參考文獻