美国职务发明报酬充分对价研究——兼论对我国专利法的借鉴意义

Study on Adequate Consideration in American Employee Inventions Remuneration:for the Reference of China's Patent Law

对价理论是现代英美合同法的核心理论之一,充分对价原则是在美国司法实践中形成的。在职务发明中,美国法院通常采用附和合同理论作为裁判雇主与雇员签订的提前转让发明协议效力的主要依据,此时充分对价原则成为重要法律原则。充分对价主要适用于执行雇主任务或者利用雇主物质技术条件完成职务发明等情形。根据相关司法实践,雇主给予雇员奖金、提升工资、晋升职位,以及对于自由雇员允诺继续雇佣等均符合充分对价的要求,而雇主已经承担的合同义务则不构成充分对价。借鉴美国司法经验,我国可以将职务发明"合理的报酬"修改为"充分的报酬",并明确"充分的报酬"计算标准以及不符合"充分的报酬"情形。

rThe consideration theory is one of the core theories of modern Anglo-American Contract Law,and the principle of adequate consideration formed in American judicial practice.In American employee inventions,the courts usually use the theory of adhesion contracts as the main basis for judging the effect of pre-invention assignment agreements between employers and employees.At this time,the principle of adequate consideration becomes an important reference for the judging adhesion contracts.Adequate consideration mainly applies to the making inventions either by performing employer^ tasks or using employer＇s material and technical conditions.The conditions of giving bonus,improving salary,promoting career and promising a continued employment for an at-will employee conform to the request adequate consideration.The obligation which already existed,for example promising a continued employment after mutually bargaining for the time of employment＇s not adequate consideration.By lessoning American judicial experience,we can amend＂reasonable remunerationnin Chinese employee inventions tonadequate remuneration＂,clarify the calculation standard of ＂adequate remuneration＂and the situations not conformingnfull remuneration＂.