论“搭便车”的反不正当竞争法定位

On the Positioning of"Free Riding"in the Anti-Unfair Competition Law

“搭便车”具有多种含义,反不正当竞争法中的“搭便车”具有特殊的法律语境,其适用定位涉及反不正当竞争法的底层观念、原则和价值。制止“搭便车”高度契合自然正义及其衍生的不当得利原则,具有与生俱来的道德感召力。但是,“搭便车”又经常是模仿自由和竞争自由的应有之义,有其积极的和正面的含义,在通常意义上体现的是“搭便车”中立。我国司法裁判过多地赋予其自身违法的负面否定意义,将其作为构成不正当竞争的裁判标准,并广泛地用于竞争行为正当性的判断。“搭便车”的宽泛适用易于扰乱相关法律之间的调整秩序,破坏法益保护与竞争自由和公有领域的必要平衡,有悖于自由市场原则。“搭便车”可以成为裁判标准,但应当限定其适用范围、压缩其适用空间,其适用不能抵触相关法律的立法政策。

The concept"free riding"has been imbued with various connotations.However,within the framework of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law,"free riding"assumes a distinctive legal context that entails the fundamental concepts,principles and values of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law.The prohibition of"free riding"is highly consistent with natural justice and its derived principle of unjust enrichment,thereby possessing an inherent moral appeal.However,"free riding"often signifies emulation of the principles of freedom and competition,serving a positive and constructive function,embodying neutrality as ordinarily understood.Regrettably,in China's judicial rulings,"free riding"has been construed to have a negative meaning of illegality,deployed as a standard for determining unfair competition,and widely used in the evaluation of the legitimacy of competitive behavior.The expansive application of"free riding"may potentially disrupt the regulation order established by related laws,and undermine the necessary balance between legal protection and freedom of competition,and the public domain,which runs counter to the principle of a free market."Free riding"can serve as a standard for judicial decision-making,but its scope of application should be delimited and the scope of its utilization compressed,and its application should not contradict the legislative policies of relevant laws.