我国引入“商标使用说明规则”的价值导向与立法选择

Value Orientation and Legislative Choice of Introducing“Trademark Description of Use Rule”in China

为强化商标注册人的使用义务,引导商标注册回归制度本源,我国《商标法》第五次修订草案征求意见稿增加“商标使用说明规则”的规定。该条款旨在将我国商标法律制度的价值导向从单向度的注册制转至“注册与使用相兼顾”,由商标管理本位转至“商标权利本位”的价值选择,以此完善我国商标注册制度。然而“商标使用说明规则”与既有规则相抵牾,一旦付诸实施,可能会增加相应的成本,甚至可能存在使规则被虚化的风险。为此应以“注册与使用兼顾”“商标权利本位”的价值选择为导向,推进“商标使用说明规则”与商标注册取得制度相协调,与商标撤三规则相配套;明晰符合商标使用说明要求的商标使用标准与不使用的合理理由;为虚假履行使用说明行为增设惩戒性后果。

In order to strengthen the obligation of trademark registrants to use their trademarks,and to guide trademark registration back to the origin of the system,the fifth draft revision of China s Trademark Law has added the provision of“rules on the description of the use of trademarks”to the draft for comments.This provision aims to change the value orientation of China s trademark legal system from the one-way registration system to the“balance between registration and use”,and from the trademark management-oriented to the“trademark right-oriented”value choice,so as to improve China s trademark registration system.However,the“trademark use description rule”contradicts the established rules,once put into practice,may increase the corresponding cost,and may even make the rule the risk of virtualization.In this regard,the value choice of“taking both registration and use into account”and“trademark right-oriented”should be taken as the guidance to promote the harmonization of“rules on the description of the use of trademarks”with the system of obtaining trademark registration and the matching of the rules on the revocation of trademarks.The rules should be oriented towards the value choice of“reconciling registration and use”and“trademark right-based”,and should promote the harmonization of“trademark use statement rules”with the system of obtaining trademark registration,and the coordination with the rules of trademark revocation;clarify the standard of trademark use in compliance with the requirements of trademark use statement and the reasonable reasons for non-use;and add disciplinary consequences for the false fulfillment of the behavior of use statement.