论商标共存协议的效力认定——美国法的司法实践与借鉴

Research on the Validity of Trademark Coexistence Agreement——From the Judicial Practice of American Law

为了避免商标侵权纠纷,潜在的商标侵权方有时会签署商标共存协议。商标共存协议可能因违反商标法和竞争法而被认定无效,目前我国法律并未对商标共存协议效力做出认定。美国法院严格遵守合同利益至上,把信守契约自由作为判断共存协议效力的首要标准,只有在"严重损害公共利益"情况下,美国法院才会认定商标共存协议无效。我国法院可以借鉴美国的司法实践,基于契约自由与公共利益的平衡,认定商标共存协议的效力。

In order to avoid trademark infringement disputes, sometimes potentially infringing parties sign trademark coexistence agreement. However, trademark coexistence agreement may be regarded as invalidity because of violating trademark law and com- petition law, and currently Chinese laws do not formally identify the validity of trademark coexistence agreement. American court strictly complies with contractual benefits and regards freedom of contract as the primary criterion for coexistence agreement validi- ty. Only when ＂the coexistence agreement harms the public interests seriously ＂, can American court invalidate the trademark co- existence agreement. Chinese court could learn from the U.S. judicial practice and affirm the validity of trademark coexistence a- greement based on the balance between the freedom of a contract and the public interests.