《商标法》第11条第2款“商标获得显著性制度”评注

Commentary on Article 11,Paragraph 2 of the Trademark Law"The System for Obtaining Distinctiveness of Trademarks"

为维护自愿注册原则、保护未注册商标所有人的未注册商标利益,保护消费者利益,维护公平竞争,《商标法》第11条第2款规定了商标获得显著性制度。该制度构成要件可以概括为:适用的标志范围、标志经过使用以及标志获得显著特征。适用的标志范围包括通用标志、描述性标志以及其他缺乏显著特征的标志。商标使用人必须是以识别商品或服务来源的方式来使用商标,获得显著性的标志不存在被动使用或公众使用的可能。标志获得显著特征的认定包括独占程度、知名度、商标标志和商品范围、认定时间、地域范围等方面的标准。独占程度上的紧密联系说、特定联系说、对应关系说与唯一对应关系说等多种观点中的唯一对应关系说与商标的来源识别功能即“商标识别单一来源”相一致。知名度上的驰名商标标准、强于固有含义标准及必要或较高知名度标准等观点中的必要或较高知名度符合获得显著性的概念。获得显著性的标志必须限于实际使用的商标标志和实际使用的商品或服务类别,认定获得显著性的时间一般应以提出商标注册申请时的事实状态为准,地域范围为全国大部分地区。认定标志获得显著特征应采用多因素认定法,可参照驰名商标的认定因素。在法律效果上,获得显著性标志可以获得注册、取得商标权,但不能阻止其他经营者对描述性标志的合理使用。

In order to uphold the principle of voluntary registration,protect the unregistered interests of the owner of the unregistered mark as well as to protect the interests of consumers and maintain fair competition,Article 11(2)of the Trademark Law provides for a system for the acquisition of distinctiveness of a mark.The constituent elements of the system can be summarized as follows:the scope of applicable marks,the use of the marks and the acquisition of distinctive features by the marks.The scope of applicable signs includes generic signs,descriptive signs and other signs lacking distinctive features.The trademark user must use the mark in a manner that identifies the source of the goods or services,and there is no possibility of passive or public use of the mark that has acquired distinctive character.The identification of the acquired distinctive features of a mark includes the criteria of the degree of exclusivity,popularity,the scope of the trademark and the product,the identification time,the geographical scope and so on.The theory of unique association among the close association theory,the theory of specific association,the theory of association and the theory of unique association is consistent with the function of trademark’s source identification,that is,the single source of trademark identification.In the viewpoints of well-known trademark standard,stronger than inherent meaning standard and necessary or higher popularity standard,necessary or higher popularity conforms to the concept of acquiring salience.The mark that obtains prominence must be limited to the actual use of the trademark symbol and the actual use of the class of goods or services,and the time to determine the time to obtain prominence shall generally be based on the factual state at the time of filing the trademark registration application,and the geographical scope is most of the country.The determination of the acquisition of distinctive features by a mark shall be based on the multi-factor determination method,which may refer to the factors for the determination of well-known trademarks.In terms of legal effect,obtaining distinctive marks can obtain registration and trademark rights,but cannot prevent other operators from reasonable use of descriptive marks.