权力与权利的分离:专利权产生机制的历史考察——兼论专利权效力纠纷的民事纠纷属性

Separation of Power and Right: Historical Review of Patent Grant Mechanism——Comment on Civil Dispute Nature of Patent Validity Dispute

从16世纪中段到19世纪中期,专利权产生机制经历了从特权时期到权利时期的转变,在专利特权时期,王权是专利特权的基础与来源,因此专利特权的产生与消灭与王权裁量休戚相关,但在专利权利时期,专利行政机关的行政授权权力与专利权利被分割开来,发明创造在符合法定条件的情况下申请人就应当被授予专利权,授权后专利权利效力纠纷更是被置于司法权范围之内。因此,专利行政授权机制不仅使专利权摆脱特权属性而成为普通权利,也实现了授权权力与权利的相分离,进言之,授权专利的效力纠纷的民事纠纷属性并不会因为专利权利的行政授权机制而有所改变。

From middle 16 thcentury to middle 19 thcentury, patent grant mechanism underwent a transformation from a privilege stage to a right stage. In the privilege stage,royalty was the source and foundation of a patent privilege, and the grant and invalidation of a patent privilege was upon the discretion of royalty. To the contrary, in the right stage, the administrative power to grant patent rights and patent rights granted were separated. The administrative agency in charge of patent examination was obliged to grant a patent right over an invention that fulfils legal requirements provided in patent laws, and the invalidation of patent rights was under the jurisdiction of courts. Accordingly, the administrative patent grant mechanism in essence was crucial for the change between privilege and right and the separation of power and right. Further, the civil nature of a patent validity dispute will not be changed because of patent grant administrative mechanism.