從美日共同侵權責任認定之實務發展談創新服務方法發明之專利布局策略

A Discussion on the Recent Cases Concerning the Joint Infringement of Method/Process Patents in the U.S. and Japan

李森堙

《科技法律透析》 24卷8期 (2012/08) Pp. 43-61

https://doi.org/10.7062/STLR.201208.0043

摘要

涉及複數行為主體參與之創新服務方法發明，其揭示之所有步驟或由不同行為主體來分別執行，而雖然個別行為主體之分別行為加總起來會構成方法發明之實施，但是從侵權行為責任認定的角度來檢視，這種所謂「共同侵權」或「分離式侵權」的專利侵權態樣，是否能被認定成立方法發明專利之直接侵權、應如何認定侵權行為之責任主體等，就成為各國專利制度必須面對的課題。在美國，聯邦巡上訴法院發展出「控制或指示」判準來判斷共同侵權之責任認定，但其對網路時代的創新服務方法專利或有適用過於狹隘之缺點而引發爭議。在日本，實務上雖未若美國，對於創新服務方法專利共同侵權責任之認定，發展出明確之判準，但其似乎是朝向透過對於服務提供之支配管理的認定、來認定服務提供業者專利侵權責任的論理方向發展。本文觀察美日專利實務對於共同侵權責任認定之相關發展對創新服務方法發明之專利保護與布局策略，提出三點建議：將申請專利範圍盡可能撰寫成由單一行為主體之行動所構成、盡可能納入方法與系統／裝置兩種型態的請求項、預想、其發明未來可能被實施或使用的態樣來預先定性可能發生之共同侵權行為中複數行為主體闊的關係。

關鍵字

共同侵權 ； 方法專利 ； 創新服務 ； 控制或指示判準

並列摘要

In the era of internet and mobile communication, practices of a method patent concerning innovative service might often involve several entities, and sometimes the method patent can only be infringed jointly. Joint infringement of method/process patents is an issue needed to be addressed by patent law, since it is assumed that a method patent can only be directly infringed by one entity to perform all the steps disclosed in the patent. In the U.S., CAFC has established the ”control or direction” standard to address the issue, but the standard has been criticized and it is under revision now. In Japan, there is no clearly-established standard to address the issue of joint infringement, but it seems that the entity that controls and benefits from the joint infringement might be held liable. Based on its discussion about the recent development in the U.S. and Japan, this article attempts to provide some suggestions for inventors of innovative service models to use patents to protect their inventions properly: they should try to avoid describing their inventions in the way of being practiced by multi-entities, they should try to claim both method and system/apparatus inventions, and they should try to predict the potential infringement of their patents in order to address the problem of how to prove the infringement

並列關鍵字

Joint Infringement ； control or direction standard ； method/process patent ； innovative service