美国等同原则的“消亡”对我国专利侵权诉讼的启示

The Inspiration of the Declination of Doctrine of Equivalents to the Patent Infringement Litigation in China

等同原则作为专利侵权判断的原则在美国司法实践中的重要性迅速消减,取而代之的是专利权利要求的解释原则。现有研究表明,这一现象与原则重置、替代理论以及即决判决有着密切的联系。应用比较研究方法对美国专利诉讼中等同原则消亡背后的机制和原因及我国专利诉讼的有关制度和司法实践进行初步的分析和探讨,在此基础上,结合相关理论,对我国专利诉讼理论与实践的发展和完善提出建议。

The significance of the doctrine of equivalents; as a judgment principle for patent infringement, is declining rapidly in the judicial practice of the United States. It is being replaced by the claim construction doctrine. The current srudy shows that this trend is mainly motivated by the theory of reallocation and displacement and summary judgment. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms behind and the causes of the demise of the doctrine of equivalents in the patent litigation of the United States＇as well as the patent litigation laws and practice in China. Based on our analysis and relevant theory, we provide recommendations for the theory and practice of the patent litigation in China.