商标法视野下体育明星姓名权保护之困与纾解之道——以“乔丹商标案”为切入点

Difficulties and Relief of the Protection of the Name Right of Sports Stars in the View of Trademark Law:Take"Jordan Trademark Case"as the Center

最高人民法院对“乔丹商标案”进行了公开审判,引起了极大关注。随着体育商业市场的不断繁荣发展,体育明星姓名中蕴含的商业价值越来越大,体育明星的姓名被抢注为商标的现象屡见不鲜。姓名权是一项重要的人格权,商标权是一项独占、排他的财产权,将体育明星的姓名抢注为商标使得对在先姓名权的保护与姓名商标权的行使之间发生冲突。此外,这种抢注行为是一种不正当竞争行为,不仅对体育明星和消费者的合法权益造成损害,还对国家体育产业的发展进步产生不良影响。现行法律没有对关于体育明星的姓名被抢注为商标的法律问题的专门性规定。2019年4月23日通过的《商标法》第4次修正,在第4条增加规定“不以使用为目的的恶意商标注册申请,应当予以驳回”,这个规定在一定程度上可以减少抢注体育明星姓名商标的现象。同时,对于体育明星的姓名被抢注为商标的情况,可以通过《商标法》第9条、第10条、第32条、第45条和第49条等的规定进行调整。

The Supreme People's Court held a public trial on the“Jordan trademark case”,which aroused great concern.With the development of sports business market,the commercial value of sports stars'names is becoming more and more important.The name right is an important personality right,and the trademark right is an exclusive property right.To register the name of a sports star as a trademark will cause a conflict between the protection of the right of prior name and the exercise of the right of trademark.In addition,this kind of squatting is an unfair competition behavior,which not only damages the legitimate rights and interests of sports stars and consumers,but also has a negative impact on the development and progress of the national sports industry.There is no special provision in the current law on the legal issues concerning the squatting of the names of sports stars as trademarks.The fourth amendment to The Trademark Law,adopted on April 23,2019,adds in article 4 tha“t an application for the registration of a malicious trademark which is not for the purpose of use shall be rejected.”To some extent,this regulation can reduce the phenomenon of squatting of the names of sports stars as trademarks.And in the case of squatting of the names of sports stars as trademarks,the provisions of article 9,article 10,article 32,article 45 and article 49 of The Trademark Law may be adopted for adjustment.