论软件作为外观设计专利产品的可适格性--以奇虎诉江民侵害外观设计专利权案为切入点

A Paper on the Eligibility for Software as the Design Patent Product——Take the case of Qihoo VS Jiangmin Software as an example

奇虎诉江民案件反映了我国图形用户界面的保护困境,即销售含有图形用户界面的硬件设备可以认定为侵权,而销售该软件却无法认定为侵权。造成这一不合理结果的原因在于现行法律和实践强调"有形产品"概念,同时难以适用其他知识产权相关法律予以保护。尽管拟引入的部分外观设计可以扩大对产品的理解,延及产品的局部,但其仍要求以硬件设备为载体。此种背景之下,应充分利用法律解释空间,回归外观设计本质,适当突破"有形产品"观念,确认软件这一无形产品也属于适格的外观设计专利产品。

The case of Qihoo VS Jiangmin Software reflects the dilemma of graphical user interface(GUI for short).That is,sales of hardware with GUI can be recognized as infringement while sales of software cannot be recognized as infringement.The reason for the situation lies in the fact that current laws and practices emphasize the concept of“tangible product”.Moreover,no other laws related to intellectual property are able to be applied to the protection dilemma.Although the newly introduced partial design can better explain the products with an involvement to the inner parts of the products,hardware equipment must be needed to be a carrier.Under such circumstances,we should make full use of the legal interpretation space,return to the essence of the design,properly break through the concept of“tangible products”and guarantee software as an intangible product to be a qualified design patent product.