从Kinik案看美国进口贸易中方法专利的保护问题

Protection of Process Patent in Import Trade in the US:The Role of Kinik Case

美国《专利法》第271节(g)款和《1930年关税法》第337节均规定了对美国方法专利的保护,但正如2004年发生的Kinik Co.v.International Trade Com’n.一案所揭示的,两者的保护标准存在着实质性差别。在本案中,美国国际贸易委员会认为美国《专利法》第271节(g)款中的"安全港"条款不适用于337条款程序,而联邦巡回上诉法院在上诉程序中支持了这一决定。这起案件表明,美国《专利法》和337条款在对方法专利的保护标准方面存在着差异,而这种保护标准的差异可能导致美国违反了根据GATT1947第3条和第20条、以及TRIPs协定第27条的规定所承担的义务。

Both the Section 271 （g） of the U. S. Patent Law and Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 provide off-shore protection in relation to American process patent. However, just as Kinik Co. v. International Trade Com＇ n. case has revealed, the standards of protection provided by the two provisions are substantially different. In the said case, the U. S. International Trade Commission decided that the safe harbor provision in Section 271（g） is not applicable to Section 337 proceedings, whereas the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed this deci- sion. Such discrepancy in the law may constitute a violation of obligations contained in Articles 3 and 20 of GATT1947, as wells as in Article 27 of TRIPS Agreement.