经营欺诈惩罚性赔偿责任适用的逻辑重构——“公共影响”构成要件的引入

Logical Reconstruction of the Application of Punitive Damages for Fraudulent Activities in Business-Introducing Elements of“Public Impact”

在关于知假买假者或职业打假人能否根据《中华人民共和国消费者权益保护法》第五十五条请求惩罚性赔偿的争议中,理论和实务上存在着依据身份确定惩罚性赔偿责任适用范围的“身份逻辑”。该逻辑泛用了“消费者”这一术语的制度功能,也无法为平衡惩罚性赔偿所带来的积极效用与消极影响提供制度方案。而惩罚性赔偿责任适用范围确定的其他理论,如知假买假者视情况可以准用第五十五条的“准用说”,尚未彻底超越“身份逻辑”。对此,应贯彻整体主义的方法论,将公共利益的保护融入私益诉讼之中。比较法上存在将“公共影响”作为惩罚性赔偿责任构成要件的法律实践,这一要件与惩罚性赔偿的特殊结构和激励功能相契合,具有正当性,值得借鉴。在我国,应将“公共影响”作为知假买假者等法律所保护的核心群体之外的人士主张惩罚性赔偿的必要条件。通过综合考量经营欺诈的类型、重复可能性、受影响消费者的数量来确定惩罚性赔偿责任的适用。这能够引导知假买假者或职业打假人选择对公共利益影响明显的欺诈行为提起诉讼,更好地实现惩罚性赔偿的功能。

In the dispute over whether people who buy the counterfeit while knowing it or anti-counterfeit fighters can claim punitive damages in regard with the Consumer Protection Law,there is a“identification approach”to determining the scope of the application of punitive damages in theory and practice.Under such approach,the institutional function of the term“consumer”is used extensively,and it cannot provide solutions to balance the positive effects and negative effects of punitive damages.However,other theories of the applicable scope of punitive damages,such as that know-fake-buy-fake can be applied to the“quasi-use theory”of Article 55 according to the situation,have not completely gone beyond the“identity logic”.In this regard,it is suggested to implement the methodology of holism and integrate the protection of public interest into the private interest litigation.From the perspective of comparative law,the practice of taking“public impact”as an element of punitive damages is reasonable,which is consistent with the special structure and incentive function of punitive damages,so it has the legitimacy and is worth learning from.In China,“public impact”should be taken as a necessary condition for people other than the core groups protected by the Consumer Protection Law.The application of punitive damages liability should be determined by comprehensively considering the types of business fraud,the possibility of duplication,and the number of affected consumers.This will guide people who buy the counterfeit while knowing it or anti-counterfeit fighters to choose a fraud with obvious impact on the public interest,and better realize the function of punitive compensation.