“市场格局论”之辨析(上)

Review on Market Structure Test in Trademark Disputes

"市场格局论"早期主要用于解决历史遗留的商标共存问题,且诉讼双方不存在恶意注册或者使用的情况,通常不会与商标法的基本原则和精神存在重大冲突。但是,在"市场格局论"的适用中,也出现了不是按照商标注册时的市场现实来确定"市场格局"的危险倾向,这种以结果为导向的评价标准和弱化"恶意"和诚信考量的司法现实主义在具体案件的裁判中大行其道。从个案结果出发的便宜之计,虽然志在破除"本本主义",但打破了基本的法律原则和规则,造成了"无本可依"的乱象和恶果,有损于法律的公正性和稳定性。司法在"市场格局论"的适用上应该向诚实信用原则回归,将"市场格局论"关进法律的笼子。

Market Structure Test （MST）is originally applied to solve the historical situation of co-existence of trademarks in Chinese market in which normally bad faith does not exist during the registration or use of the disputed trademark, therefore, the application of MST is not conflict with the basic principle of trademark law. However, there is a dangerous tendency of applying the MST not according to the market reality at the time of registration of the disputed trademark in Chinese judicial branches recently. This outcome-orientated standard frequently used by the Chinese bench has greatly limited the weight of good faith principle and broken the basic principle of trademark law. Although the main idea of MST is to avoid the rigidity of the rules in trademark law, the outbreak of basic principle in trademark law may lead to the lawless situation and damage the sustainability and certainty of law. The application of MST should be controlled by the good faith principle and be limited by the rule of law.