论商业秘密侵权惩罚性赔偿的适用

On Applicable of Punitive Damages in Commercial Secrets Infringement

我国现行法律中,关于商业秘密侵权赔偿责任适用的是补偿性损害赔偿,这种赔偿制度,不能有效保护商业秘密权人,不能有效遏制侵犯商业秘密权的行为。据对现实生活的考察,侵犯商业秘密权行为之所以屡禁不绝,关键在于侵权获得的收益明显高于侵权付出的成本。为更好地保护权利人的商业秘密权,应与时俱进,多措并举,尤其是在商业秘密侵权责任追究中增加惩罚性赔偿制度。可以借鉴美国和我国台湾地区的立法经验,将惩罚性与补偿性两种赔偿制度同时适用于商业秘密侵权赔偿之中,明确规定,如果商业秘密侵权人是基于故意,法院应对侵权人适用惩罚性赔偿,赔偿数额的确定当根据案件反映的具体情况,在参照补偿性赔偿计算的数额的基础上,增加适当的倍数。

Only compensative damages can be applied to the tort relating trade secrets according to the current legislation. Such damages cannot afford effective protection for the holder of trade secrets and effectively inhibit further torts. According to the practical investigation, the critical reason that the torts relating to trade secrets continues even after the prohibition is that the profits from the torts are noticeably higher than the costs the tortfeasors must pay. In order to give the holder of trade secrets better protection, we must improve the protective measures, use multiple methods, particularly, add the punitive damages into the liability of tortfeasors. With the reference to practice of USA and Taiwan Region of our country, we should provide clearly that, if the tortfeasors do the misappropriation of trade secrets intentionally, the courts must order them to pay the punitive damages. The sum of punitive damages should be several times of compensative damages, based on the actual circumstances of the particular case.