元宇宙相关商标的防御性注册问题研究

元宇宙相关商标的旺盛注册需求与现实中的注册困境形成了张力。其中部分注册申请具有防御性注册的倾向,内在原因是商标使用向“两个世界”的维度扩展,然而又非现实世界商标使用的简单再现,难以判断原有商标的覆盖范围。元宇宙相关的商品和服务包括三个主要类型,当前的归类主要依据虚拟商品的外在特征,未能突显元宇宙环境中虚拟商品的实质,也缺乏关于类似关系及来源混淆之虞的细化规定,导致申请人寻求跨类别批量注册。批量申请注册含“元宇宙”字样商标的具体原因则是难以明确原有注册商标权控制范围,有必要通过明确商标的显著性要件与合法性要件之间的分野、完善商标显著性判定规则及通用名称认定规则等加以规范。

The strong demand for registering metaverse-related trademarks have created a tension in the face of practical registration challenges.Some of these applications exhibit a defensive tendency driven by the expansion of trademark use in the realm of"two worlds",though this expansion is not a mere replication of the trademark use in the real world,thus being difficult to determine the coverage of the original trademarks.Metaverse-related goods and services can be categorized into three types.However,the current classification is mainly based on the external characteristics of virtual goods,failing to highlight the essence of virtual goods in the metaverse environment.Moreover,the lack of detailed rules on similarities and the likelihood of confusion has currently led applicants to seek large number of cross-class registrations.The main reason for applying for the registration of trademarks containing the word"metaverse"is the difficulty in clarifying the scope of symbol control of the original registered trademarks.It is therefore necessary to delineate the boundaries between the sourceidentification requirements and the legality requirements of trademarks,and to improve the rules,among others,for determining the source-identification of trademarks and the generic terms.