- 期刊
談美國專利法271條f項之問題
Discussion of the Problem of 35 U.S.C. §271(f)
摘要
美國專利法271條f項是美國國會爲彌補美國最高法院在Deepsouth案判決中所點出的專利制度漏洞，而創設出的特殊立法。然而該條文的解釋適用，近來卻產生不小的爭議與疑義；在面對涉及方法發明或軟體程式碼的不同個案時，美國法院對於應如何適用271條f項的判決見解出現了相當的矛盾與衝突。271條f項的問題在於，其立法時所參照的特殊案例事實，讓其解釋適用範圍受到侷限；在面對其立法時並未預想到的專利發明技術態樣，以及越來越常見跨國專利案件時，若不當地解釋適用該條文，只會產生讓美國專利法具有不適當的域外效力等負面影響。本文認爲，專利制度的屬地原則有其法理依據與政策上的必要性，不應輕易被推翻；然而在面對跨國專利侵權行爲日趨普遍的現實時，一個具彈性的準據法選擇原則，卻可以幫助具有屬地原則的專利制度，更適當地因應經濟全球化所帶來的挑戰。
並列摘要
35 U.S.C. § 271(f) was legislated by the U.S. Congress in order to close the loophole addressed in the Deepsouth case of the U.S. Supreme Court. However; in recent years, when the American courts try to apply 35 U.S.C. § 271(f) to the cases related to process claims or software code, they face serious difficulties. The problem of 35 U.S.C. § 271(f) is that its description is based on the unique fact in the Deepsouth case, and therefore its application can not go beyond the limitations which is created by its own wording. To expand its scope is to give the unnecessary and dangerous extraterritorial effects to U.S. patent law, and to produce negative impacts on American economy. The territorial limitation of patent law is a doctrine which should not be easily dismissed; however; in the era of global economy, patent law should be flexible enough to deal with those cases in which the infringements can not be constrained in the boundary of one country. To develop the choice of law principle which looks into the economic effects of the infringement behavior is a way that patent law can utilize to deal with the problems caused by technological development and global economy.