知识产权许可合同中契约自由原则的适用和限制

Application and Limitation of Free Contract Principle in Licensing Contract of Intellectual Property

在私权自治基础上建立起来的契约自由原则为个人的权利运用提供了广泛的机会,每个人都可以根据自己的自由意志去塑造其与他人的法律关系,自由决定是否订立契约,与谁订立契约,以及订什么样的契约。债权法上的权利和义务,原则上只能通过契约建立、变更或解除。由于知识产权是一种新的权利形态,具有许多传统财产所不具备的特点,因此,在其适用契约自由原则时,便出现了不少现行法律难以应对的情形。在深入研究西方发达国家和地区相关理论和实践的基础上,对知识产权许可合同中契约自由原则的适用和限制问题进行了深入的探讨,为完善我国现行法律和制度提出了一些有益的意见和建议。

The principle of free contract, which came from the autonomy of private rights, provides extensive opporttmities for individual persons to exploit their own rights. In line with the principle, everybody could make a legal relationship with anyone else at his/her free will; he/she could freely decide to make whatever contract with whoever person without restraint. Generally speaking, the rights and obligations in the law of obligation could only be established, changed or terminated through contract. Since intellectual property is a new type of rights, it possesses many characteristics which cannot be found in the traditional properties; therefore, many unusual circumstances come out when the principle is applied in the licensing contracts of intellectual property. This article, on the basis of understanding the relative theories and practices in Western countries and districts, makes a thorough examination upon the issue of application and limitation of free contract principle in licensing contract of intellectual property, and gives some helpful opinions and suggestions for further improving current laws and legal system in China.