2018年1月17日 星期三

印度商標訴訟與策略筆記 - infringement & passing off

印度商標法目前為1999年商標法:

http://www.ipindia.nic.in/writereaddata/Portal/IPOAct/1_43_1_trade-marks-act.pdf

商標權人在印度可以有兩個方式對侵害權利者主張商標權,可以保護註冊商標與未註冊商標使用的擁有人。其中,第一是侵權訴訟(infringement),針對註冊商標,目的是處理商標使用;第二是主張商標權以排除商標混淆(passing off),針對未註冊商標,passing off主要是要將市面上造成混淆或欺瞞的商標的物品排除。

印度最高法院在案例「Durga Dutt v Navaratna Pharmaceutical Laboratories (AIR 1965 SC 980)」中明確指出以上兩個方式的差異。

Infringement措施意欲提供商標權人主張專利權以及法定損害賠償,如果商標權人懷疑所擁有的商標的重要特徵(essential feature)被他人使用,用在他人的物品或其包裝上,Infringement措施可以通過訴訟釐清商標之間的差異是否有顯著差異(marked difference),是否可以明確指出與原告商標的差異。

相關infringement印度商標法(資料來源:https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1017213/)摘要如下,如第29(9)條定義出商標中可辨識的特徵包括商標用字的口頭使用、視覺表示等。

28. Rights conferred by registration.—
(1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, the registration of a trade mark shall, if valid, give to the registered proprietor of the trade mark the exclusive right to the use of the trade mark in relation to the goods or services in respect of which the trade mark is registered and to obtain relief in respect of infringement of the trade mark in the manner provided by this Act.

29. Infringement of registered trade marks.—
(1) A registered trade mark is infringed by a person who, not being a registered proprietor or a person using by way of permitted use, uses in the course of trade, a mark which is identical with, or deceptively similar to, the trade mark in relation to goods or services in respect of which the trade mark is registered and in such manner as to render the use of the mark likely to be taken as being used as a trade mark.
...
(9) Where the distinctive elements of a registered trade mark consist of or include words, the trade mark may be infringed by the spoken use of those words as well as by their visual representation and reference in this section to the use of a mark shall be construed accordingly.

Passing off措施指向有惡意使用的商標,滿足passing off方案的基本訴求是:聲譽、虛假陳述與善意使用,並證明有損害("reputation, misrepresentation and damage to goodwill"),"未註冊"商標擁有人(proprietor)需要證明在前的商標與連續商業使用的證據,商標已經具備善意使用與聲譽,其他相似的商標使用則有欺瞞與混淆公眾的問題,並對商標擁有人與商標本身聲譽造成損失。由於passing off方案是解決"未註冊"商標的爭議,因此只要商標使用者指出足夠與原本商標區隔的證據就可以免除損害賠償。

此案例判決書:https://indiankanoon.org/doc/529384/

Infringement and passing-off爭議為民事爭議,法院管轄權將根據侵權發生地或是當事人所在地決定(territorial jurisdiction),由印度地方法院與高等法院審理,上訴法院為最高法院。

對於外國人擁有的商標爭議,根據印度商標被授權人簽署商標合約的地方來決定審理法院
(相關案例:PK Sen v Exxon (2017 (69) PTC 271) the Delhi High Court

本篇文章也提到,在法院前,只要有意願都可以通過協商和解。

本篇內容源自:https://www.lexology.com/r.ashx?i=5756118&l=7XPPERQ

Ron

沒有留言: