注册商标无效宣告绝对事由的正解与修订

Correct Interpretation and Amendments of Absolute Grounds for Invalidation of Registered Trademarks

注册商标无效宣告的绝对事由需要在立法上进行必要的完善,回归宣告无效针对不正当注册的原意,确保商标核准注册与无效宣告程序中绝对事由的对应性和同一性,重点是尽快去除“欺骗手段或者其他不正当手段”的独立无效事由。在既有法律规定下,绝对无效事由的适用应当保持必要的谦抑,避免适用上的扩大化或者扭曲化。当前的商标确权实践应当突出强调实际使用的优越地位,避免过于强调商标申请注册时的“原罪”而无视实际使用的现实,导致无效宣告“舍本逐末”“缘木求鱼”;要真正认真对待两种事由的法律界限,尊重其区分价值,避免动辄以绝对事由变相发挥保护在先权利的相对事由功能,防止以绝对事由为名变相扩展在先权利,维护权利保护与商标秩序的平衡。

The absolute grounds for the invalidation of registered trademarks require necessary legislative improvements.This should realign the purpose of invalidation to target improper registrations and ensure the correspondence and consistency of absolute grounds in both the registration approval and invalidation declaration processes.The focus should be on promptly removing"deceptive means or other improper means"as an independent ground for invalidation.Under the current legal provisions,the application of absolute grounds for invalidation should be restrained to avoid broadening or distorting its application.Current practice in trademark confirmation should emphasize the superior position of actual use,avoiding an overemphasis on the"original sin"of the trademark application process while ignoring the reality of actual use,which leads to phenomena of missing the mark and losing sight of the primary objective.It is crucial to seriously consider the legal boundaries of the two types of grounds and respect their distinct values,avoiding the misuse of absolute grounds to indirectly protect prior rights,thereby expanding prior rights under the pretext of absolute grounds.This approach is essential to maintaining a balance between rights protection and trademark order.