“意见陈述”导致禁止反悔的限制条件——曹桂兰等与重庆力帆汽车销售有限公司等侵害发明专利权纠纷

Condition of Argument-Based Estoppel

专利申请人或专利权人在专利审查或无效过程的意见陈述有可能导致禁止反悔,从而不能适用等同原则。美国和日本的做法都是将被审查员信赖作为意见陈述构成禁止反悔的条件。我国司法解释规定意见陈述被"明确否定"才能不导致禁止反悔。最高人民法院在判决明确了"未被裁判者认可"即为"明确否定",其实是将被审查员信赖作为意见陈述导致禁止反悔的条件。

The argument of the patent applicant or patentee in the process of patent examination or invalidation may lead to prosecution history estoppel, which denies the doctrine of equivalents. In the United States and Japan, the condition of argument-based estoppel is the argument relied by the examiner. China＇s judicial interpretation stipulates that ＂definitely denied＂ argument will not lead to argument-based estoppel. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that ＂definitely denied＂ means ＂hadn＇t been recognized＂, reliance of the examiner is the condition of argument-based estoppel.