美国法上的反向假冒规则及其启示

The Reverse Passing Off Rule in U.S. Law and Its Implications

反向假冒是我国《商标法》规定的商标侵权行为之一。不过,理论和实务中对于这种行为的对象范围和判断标准一直存在争议。加框链接、“去水印”等“疑似”反向假冒行为的出现,又为理解与适用反向假冒规则提出了新的挑战。反向假冒规则源于美国的司法实践,因而梳理美国反向假冒规则的演进过程对于深入理解该规则具有重要意义。美国反向假冒规则整体经历了由“对象范围宽泛、判断标准严格”向“对象范围狭窄、判断标准宽松”的转变。Smith案将反向假冒的判断标准从基于行为效果转变为基于行为本身,降低了其认定门槛。Dastar案则禁止在智力成果领域适用反向假冒规则,限制了其适用范围。对美国法的研究表明:智力成果是反向假冒规则的重要对象,保护商誉则是该规则的本质目的,我国应构建“对象范围宽泛、判断标准严格”的反向假冒规则。

Reverse passing off is one of the trademark infringements under the Trademark Law of China.However,there has been a controversy over the scope of reverse passing off behaviors and the criteria for judging it."Suspected"reverse passing off behaviors such as framed links and"watermark removing"raises new challenges for the reverse passing off rule.The reverse passing off rule originated from the judicial practice in the United States,it is helpful to explore the evolution of the rule in the United States.Initially,the U.S.reverse passing off rule had a loose scope of object matter and strict standards of judgment,as judicial practice developed,the rule has become narrowly targeted and loosely judged.The Smith case shifted the criteria from the effect of behaviors to the behavior itself,which made it easy for behaviors to constitute reverse passing off.The Dastar case,on the other hand,rejected of applying the rule in the field of intellectual property,which limited the scope of the rule.The study of U.S.law shows that intellectual works are important objects of the reverse passing off rule,and the protection of goodwill is the essential purpose of the rule.China should build a reverse passing off rule with a loose scope of object matter and strict standards of judgment.