地理标志保护全球化的历史变迁及启示

The Historical Changes of Globalization of Geographical Indications Protection and Its Enlightenment

地理标志保护的早期历史即已反映出了地理标志作为一种特殊商标所具有的来源识别、品质保证、商誉承载以及市场竞争等功能。从全球化视角,特别是近代以来主要国际条约,包括《巴黎公约》《马德里协定》《里斯本协定》《TRIPS协定》以及《日内瓦文本》等对地理标志保护的制度变迁以及保护规则的具体设定来看,地理标志的保护经历了从"混淆保护"到"淡化保护"的演变历程,还存在"相对保护"与"绝对保护"的路径分野。地理标志法律保护的核心议题主要包括两个方面:一是制止对地理标志的不正当使用,二是防止地理标志"通用化"和"私有化"。在国际上,《里斯本协定》不太成功说明将地理标志视为一种静态的"绝对权利"来维护的极端做法,并非切合实际的路径选择,《TRIPS协定》针对不同商品类别设定的"双重保护标准"也备受争论和质疑。相对而言,世界知识产权组织(WIPO)新出台的《日内瓦文本》,尽管也还存在一些值得进一步探讨之处,但是《日内瓦文本》对地理标志保护规则的重新设定,包括科学设定地理标志"声誉"这一核心保护要素,明文规定地理标志可以寻求类似于驰名商标的反淡化保护,以及在处理地理标志与普通商标的关系等方面的诸多新规定,则是较为科学合理的,能够为我国构建地理标志强保护规则提供启示和借鉴。

Historically,the early history of geographical indication protection has already reflected the source identification,quality assurance,reputation bearing and market competition of geographical indications.From the perspective of globalization,especially institutional changes and specific protection rules in major international treaties since modern times,including the Paris Convention,the Madrid Agreement,the Lisbon Agreement,the TRIPS Agreement,and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement,geographical indications have undergone an evolutionary process from"confusion protection"to "dilution protection",and there are also path differences between "relative protection"and"absolute protection".The legal protection of geographical indications includes two main issues: the first is to prohibit the improper use of geographical indications,and the second is to prevent the"generalization"and"privatization"of geographical indications.From the perspective of the globalization of the protection of geographical indications,the highly unsuccessful implementation of the "Lisbon Agreement"illustrates the extreme practice of maintaining geographical indications as a static right,which may not be an ideal path for geographical indication protection.Relatively speaking,the geographical indication protection settings in the "TRIPS Agreement " and WIPO’s new"Lisbon Agreement Geneva Act"are more worthy of careful attention,and can provide reference for the improvement of the legal protection of geographical indications in China.