“版权蟑螂”的性质界定及著作权法规制

Definition of “Copyright Troll” and Its Regulation in Copyright Law

“版权蟑螂”是指权利人基于原始取得或继受取得的作品著作权,以侵权诉讼或诉讼相要挟的方式进行版权运营,以牟取不正当商业利益的行为。“版权蟑螂”看似合法行使著作权,实则与著作权设权目的相悖,侵蚀了公众接触空间,打破了利益平衡边界,构成了权利滥用。“禁止著作权滥用”虽饱受学界争议,但“版权蟑螂”折射出的极端功利主义扭曲了著作权制度,无法实现“个体正义”“社会正义”和“复合正义”,故对其规制具有正当性。秉持审慎认定原则,立法上应反思并重构禁止著作权滥用原则,确立著作权滥用侵权抗辩规则;司法上应明晰“版权蟑螂”的认定标准和法律后果,同时适用诉讼费用转移和保证金规则,防止法定赔偿制度异化;政策上应构建从源头治理“版权蟑螂”的政策体系,加强源头预防、前端化解、关口把控,真正形成“版权蟑螂”治理闭环。

“Copyright troll” refers to the act of copyright operation in the form of infringement litigation or threat of litigation based on the original or subsequent copyright of works so as to seek improper commercial interests.“Copyright troll” seems to exercise copyright legally, but it is actually contrary to the purpose of copyright establishment, erodes the public contact space, breaks the boundary of interest balance, and constitutes an abuse of rights. Although the“prohibition of abuse of copyright” has been controversial by the academic community, the extreme utilitarianism reflected by “copyright troll” distorts the copyright system and cannot realize “individual justice” “social justice” and“compound justice”, so its regulation is legitimate. Adhering to the principle of prudent identification, legislation should reflect and reconstruct the principle of prohibiting copyright abuse and establish the defense rules of copyright abuse infringement;In judicature, we should apply the rules of litigation cost transfer and deposit at the same time to prevent the alienation of legal compensation system;In terms of policy, we should build a policy system to control “copyright cockroaches” from the source, strengthen source prevention, front-end resolution and gateway control, and truly form a closed loop of “copyright troll” governance.