专利鲨鱼及其专利挟持问题研究

Study on Patent Sharks and Patent Holdup

专利鲨鱼用于形容某些特定的个人或企业以极具攻击性的方式,向被其视为侵权的个人或企业、公司等发起诉讼攻击,以谋取高额利益的现象。专利鲨鱼具有针对性强、隐蔽性高、凶猛性等特点。近年有案件数量迅速上升、技术涵盖领域集中、地域范围扩大等趋势。专利鲨鱼的挟持策略主要有临时禁令、损害赔偿、转换成本等三种。为遏制专利鲨鱼的专利挟持,预防专利鲨鱼现象的泛滥,应从专利法的制度层面、专利行政部门审查程序层面和企业专利管理层面做出相应调整。微观层面的应对策略包含短期策略和长期策略两类。

The concept of patent sharks refers to the phenomena that patent holding individuals or firms with hidden intellectual property that surface＇, threatening to sue, when their rights are inadvertently infringed, and attacks those users without legal permit in order to receive damage awards for the illegitimate use of their technology. Patent sharks are characterized by disguise, fierceness and configuration to specific firm. The quantity of such cases is increasing dramatically, while technological scope involved is concentrating rapidly. The tactics of patent sharks include injunction strategy, damage strategy, and costs transfer strategy. Measures to curb patent holdup should be taken in patent law, investigation procedures, and patent management in business. Countermeasures in corporations include short-term strategy and long-term strategy.