我国局部外观设计专利保护之必要性探讨

Discussion on the Necessity of Patent Protection of Partial Designs in China

产品的外观设计既包括对产品整体外观的设计,也包括产品外观某个部分或局部的设计。虽然我国现行《专利法》并未将局部外观设计排除在专利的保护范围之外,但在专利审查实践中对于产品的局部外观设计专利申请并不能获得授权,这是我国局部外观设计专利保护的现实困境。局部外观设计是设计者的智力劳动成果,能够为产品生产者带来经济利益,并且符合外观设计专利的构成要件,其应当与产品的整体外观设计一样获得法律的承认和保护。在《专利法》中明确规定局部外观设计的"可专利性"地位,在审查实践中对符合条件的局部外观设计授予专利权,这既是我国外观设计专利保护制度与国际接轨的要求,也是我国外观设计产业发展的现实需要。

The design of the product includes both the design of the overall appearance of the product and the design of a part or part of the appearance of the product. Although the current Patent Law of China does not exclude the partial design from the scope of patent protection, in the practice of patent examination, the patent application for the partial design of the product cannot be authorized. This is the real dilemma of patent protection for the partial design in China. The partial design is the result of the designer's intellectual labor. It can bring economic bene fits to the producer of the product and meet the constituent elements of the design patent. It should be recognized and protected by law as the overall design of the product. In the Patent Law clearly stipulates the "patentability" status of partial design, and grants patent rights to eligible partial designs in the practice of examination. This is not only the requirement of China's design patent protection system and international standards, but also is a realistic need for the development of China's design industry.