网络许诺销售行为地域范围的认定

Identification of Territorial Scope in respect to the Offer for Sale on Web

网络许诺销售行为是互联网环境下实施专利的行为,由于网络空间的无限性以及电子商务的发展,许诺销售行为在互联网中实施的地域范围未必一定会落入专利权的保护范围,因此未经专利权人授权而进行的网络许诺销售行为未必会构成实施专利的侵权行为。在网络空间中由于许诺销售行为意思表示对象的不确定性、信息受众群体的全球性、信息发布者行为的隐蔽性等特点,对于侵权行为地管辖的认定并不能够作为网络许诺销售行为地域范围的认定直接依据,网络许诺销售行为地域范围的认定应当仍以保护专利权的地域性为原则,通过考量许诺销售行为意思表示之本质属性,其意思表示的内容对象形式等因素,结合网络环境中的商业习惯等影响,认定网络许诺销售行为之地域范围,从而判定该行为是否侵权。

Offer for sale on web is a way to exploit patents. In view of the infi nite cyber space and the development of electronic commerce, the protectionscope of patent right may not cover the geographical area in which offer for sale is occurring on the web. So offer for sale on web without authorization may not constitute infringement of patents. In cyber space, the offer for sale intent is declared to unspecifi ed recipients, the recipients of the declaration are spread globally, and the person giving the declaration is normally hidden in somewhere, it is therefore unsuitable to directly recognize the place of infringement as the geographical area of the offer for sale on the web. Identifi cation of the geographical area of the offer for sale on the web should give emphasis on the protection of a patent＇s territoriality. The identifi cation of the geographical area of the offer for sale on web as well as the judgment of infringement should take into consideration of the nature of the offer for sale intent, the recipients of the intent, and the commercial customs in the cyber space.