实用艺术作品在著作权法上之独立性

Independent Nature of Works of Applied Art in Copyright Law

实用艺术作品纳入著作权法保护体系,是实现著作权法保护和鼓励创作、促进文化科学事业发展与繁荣之立法宗旨的重要方面。但是,我国著作权法对实用艺术作品的保护缺乏内在一致性。在二十余年的法律适用过程中,立法的模糊处理、理论上的争执、司法的摸索以及学理与司法实践的脱节始终纠缠在一起,影响人们的认识及司法裁判的合理统一。为了明晰保护逻辑、界定保护对象与范围、规范法律规则的适用、促进实用艺术作品相关产业的发展,应当在著作权法上明确实用艺术作品的独立地位,即将其作为著作权法中一类独立的受保护的客体,并将其界定为玩具、家具、饰品等实用功能与审美意义整体产生的空间艺术作品,以彰显其独立于美术作品的特质。在著作权法语境下,实用艺术作品的实用功能不受保护,应当纳入著作权法中的公共领域为人们自由地使用,这是法律评价的结果,并成为艺术部分获得著作权法保护的对价。

The coverage of works of applied art by the copyright protection system is an important aspect of protecting and encouraging innovation and promoting the development and prosperity of cultural and scientific undertakings by copyright law.However,the Chinese Copyright Law lacks inherent consistency in the protection of works of applied art.In the course of more than twenty years of application of the law,the ambiguity in legislation,theoretical controversies,the judicial exploration,and the disconnection between legal theory and judicial practice have been inextricably entangled with each other and impeded the reasonable unity of people’s understanding and judicial decisions.In order to clarify the logic of protection,define the objects and scope of protection,standardize the application of legal rules,and promote the development of industries related to works of applied art,China should establish the independent status of works of applied art in the Copyright Law,that is to say,make them an independent class of protected objects in the Law,and define them as spatial art works that combine utility functions and esthetic significance,so as to demonstrate their unique nature of independent of works of art.In the context of copyright law,the practical function of works of applied art is not copyrightable.They should be included in the public domain without protection and used freely by people,which is the result of legal evaluation and becomes the consideration of the part of the arts protected by copyright.