商标共存的法理逻辑与制度构造

The Systematic Construction to the Unregistered Trademark System in China

商标共存是同一法域内属于两个或者两个以上主体的两个或两个以上互相有冲突的商标基于某种原因同时合法存在的情形,认为商标共存需要以不存在混淆可能性为条件以及认为商标共存协议是排除混淆可能性的有力证据均属对商标共存的认识误区。商标共存制度倾向于商标所有人利益的保护,从而与消费者利益保护之间存在着价值冲突,类似的制度还包括商标先用权制度、商标共有制度、冲突商标审查制度以及商标转让制度等,这些制度应该保持协调。商标共存利大于弊的客观情况、我国商标法的私权保护取向以及商标先用权等相关制度的发展趋势共同决定了我国应该明确承认商标共存,而商标共存的弊端则要求通过恰当的商标共存协议内容、正确使用商标以及附加区别标志等方式对商标共存予以适当规制。

The trademark coexistence is the situation in which two or more than two mutually conflicting trademarks be- longing to two or more than two subjects in the same authority can legally coexist for some reasons. The argument to think the trademark coexistence need a requirement of no likelihood of confusion and to think trademark coexistence agreements is strong evidence to exclude the likelihood of confusion is a kind of misunderstanding of trademark coexistence. The trade- mark coexistence system tends to the trademark owner~ interests protection and conflicts with the consumers＂ interests pro- tection. There are many systems in trademark law, such as prior use rights, jointly ownership, reviewing the prior conflict trademarks in trademark registration and trademark free assignment, etc. , which must be coordinated with each other, sim- ilar to trademark coexistence system. The advantages greater than disadvantages of trademark coexistence, the development trend of the private right protection of the trademark law in China and the recognition of prior use rights and so on deter- mines that Chinese trademark law should clearly recognize trademark coexistence, and the disadvantages of trademark coex- istence means trademark law should regulate trademark coexistence properly through the proper content of trademark coexis- tence agreement, properly using trademark and adding proper marks for distinction.