非专利实施主体研究

A Research on the Non-Practicing Entity

近几年,国内NPE活动已经出现,国外NPE机构也开始在中国市场发起专利侵权诉讼,这也引起业界对于NPE的关注。NPE虽不实施专利,但执行专利,应被界定为一个“中性”的市场主体,是知识产权市场上一个必不可少的参与者。简单地将其等同于专利流氓,这对于中国专利运营行业的整体发展会存在不利影响。近年来,中国的高技术行业持续发展,专利法第四次修正案(草案)中加大了对侵犯专利权行为的惩治力度,这都可能使中国成为NPE的理想市场。此外,在相对较高的原告胜诉率、相对较低的诉讼成本等因素影响下,NPE在中国的活动可能会进一步活跃。鉴于NPE具有运营和投机的双面性,要在积极鼓励专利运营工作发展的同时,谨慎对待投机型NPE,密切关注其活动态势。

NPE activities begin to emerge in China. Foreign professional NPEs have begun to file patent infringement lawsuits against Chinese NPEs, which arouses great attention to this phenomenon. Although NPE does not implement patents, they enforce patents, and therefore is a neutral market entity and an indispensable player in the IP market. Simply equating NPEs to patent trolls may bring adverse effects on the overall patent operation in China. In recent years, China’s high-tech industry continues to progress, and the 4th revised draft of the Chinese Patent Law raises the punishment strength to patent infringement behavior, both factors may turn China into an ideal market for NPEs. Besides, with the relatively high prevailing rate for plaintiffs and the low litigation cost, NPEs may increase their activities in China. Given both the operative and the speculative nature of NPEs, it is recommended to encourage the normal NPE operation while keeping an eye on their speculative activities.