enpan's Patent & Linux practice: 商業實施為取得商標權的要件（申請時應已商業實施）

2015年3月5日星期四

商業實施為取得商標權的要件（申請時應已商業實施）

此案例告訴我們取得商標的「商業實施」為主要要件，甚至是商業實施日期為商標取得要件的重要性。

有關商業實施的商標註冊規定摘要如下，顯然，「商業實施」是取得商標權的最重要條件，包括可以杜絕他人使用相同或近似商標的商業使用，已經商業實施的人可以提出使用的商標申請，讓取得商標權的人可以商業實施該商標權，以及只有持續商業實施才能延長該商標權。

15 U.S.C. §1051. Registration of trademarks
(a)
(1)The owner of a trademark used in commerce may request registration of its trademark on the principal register hereby established by paying the prescribed fee and filing in the Patent and Trademark Office an application and a verified statement, ...
(2)The application shall include specification of the applicant's domicile and citizenship, the date of the applicant's first use of the mark, the date of the applicant's first use of the mark in commerce, the goods in connection with which the mark is used, and a drawing of the mark.
(3)The statement shall be verified by the applicant and specify that--
(C)the mark is in use in commerce; and
(D)to the best of the verifier's knowledge and belief, no other person has the right to use such mark in commerce either in the identical form thereof or in such near resemblance thereto as to be likely, ...

(b)
(1)A person who has a bona fide intention, under circumstances showing the good faith of such person, to use a trademark in commerce may request registration of its trademark on the principal register hereby established by paying the prescribed fee and filing in the Patent and Trademark Office an application and a verified statement, in such form as may be prescribed by the Director.
...
(3)The statement shall be verified by the applicant and specify--
(A)that the person making the verification believes that he or she, or the juristic person in whose behalf he or she makes the verification, to be entitled to use the mark in commerce;
(B)the applicant's bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce;

(c)
Amendment of application under subsection (b) to conform to requirements under subsection (a). At any time during examination of an application filed under subsection (b), an applicant who has made use of the mark in commerce may claim the benefits of such use for purposes of this Act, by amending his or her application to bring it into conformity with the requirements of subsection (a).

(d)
(1)Within six months after the date on which the notice of allowance with respect to a mark is issued under section 13(b)(2) [15 USC 1063(b)(2)] to an applicant under subsection (b) of this section, the applicant shall file in the Patent and Trademark Office, together with such number of specimens or facsimiles of the mark as used in commerce as may be required by the Director and payment of the prescribed fee, ...
(2)...Any request for an extension under this paragraph shall be accompanied by a verified statement that the applicant has a continued bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce and specifying those goods or services identified in the notice of allowance on or in connection with which the applicant has a continued bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce. ...

案例討論：

商標權人：David Couture（"PLAYDOM"）
商標使用者：Playdom, Inc.

Couture商業實施"PLAYDOM"的證據包括註冊域名「www.playdominc.com」，其中提供影片製作的服務。不過，卻因為在商標註冊申請日時並未提供任何服務，有段空窗期，但此未商業實施的期間成為商標權被撤銷的理由，其中雖商標代理人提出商標權之申請為基於商標的善意使用（bona fide intention），但商標權人未能提出證據而被判無效。

David Couture於2008年提出"PLAYDOM"的商標申請人，提出商標使用的證據時，提出www.playdominc.com網頁的擷取畫面，但內容僅有『Welcome to PlaydomInc.com』，並表示所要提供的影片製作服務，但網頁仍在建設中，沒有具體內容。

playdominc.com網站服務卻遲至2010年才開始，商標權已於2009年取得（No.3560701）：

Playdom, Inc.也有"Playdom"的商標權，於2009/2/9提出申請，目前狀態有效：LIVE，同時註冊有playdom.com的域名，主要是提供電視遊戲、手機遊戲、社群網站遊戲等。蠻有趣的事情是，"playdom"曾經是時代華納的商標。

當Playdom, Inc.（本次被上訴人）於2009年提出「playdom」商標申請，引用David Couture（本次上訴人）的商標而被核駁，而Playdom, Inc.於是提出撤銷David Couture的商標的請願程序，認為上訴人的商標權因為在申請時並未商業實施，應為無效（自始不存在）。

5年後，於2014年，訴願委員會作出撤銷成立，認為商標申請時僅在網頁上標注並不是商業使用，並沒有實質提供服務。於是，David Couture提出上訴。

CAFC階段：
同意訴願委員會的意見，對於商業實施的規定如下，引用15USC1051，商業實施指的是實施註冊商標的相關服務，David Couture在商標申請時並未商業實施，如果沒有商業實施，也不能保留商標權。而上訴人雖人主張已經是處於預備商業實施（preparations to use a mark incommerce），但CAFC法官認為並不足以證明這是商業實施，而應該是「實際上已經執行（actually used in conjunction with the services）」。
"on services when it is used or displayed in the sale or advertising of services and the services are rendered in commerce, or the services are rendered in more than one State or in the United States and a foreign country and the person rendering the services is engaged in commerce in connection with the services."

結論：
CAFC同意訴願委員會撤銷商標權的意見。
在訴願委員會審理期間，David Couture曾經要求修改商標申請書，想要補入一些善意使用者商標權的聲明等，但是這些修正不能在商標完成註冊（核准）後，只能在商標申請中提出。

後語：
取得美國註冊商標，顯然商業實施是個重要的必要條件，如果僅是用一個網頁註明有相關服務，卻沒有實質商業行為，仍不足以取得商標權，特別是還寫上"under construction"，這樣更證明相關服務並未準備好。
在某些案例中（如Buti v. Impressa Perosa），如果餐點在義大利提供，但尚未在美國提供，在美國僅為行銷某咖啡，甚至還提供了免費試用，仍不能認定是商業實施。
要稱為商業實施，要同時具備提供服務與行銷等條件。