35 U.S.C. 271表面上看來是規範了幾種專利侵權型態，簡單來看：
- 271(a) - 規定侵權的行為：製造、使用、販售要約或販售已專利發明（直接侵權）。
- 271(b) - 誘使侵權。
- 271(c) - 販售要約、販售、進口專利物或流程的重要部分元件的共同侵權。
- 271(d) - 濫用或不當延伸專利權的行為：(1)從他人的侵權行為獲利將構成共同侵權；(2)授意或許可他人執行未被同意的侵權行為構成共同侵權；(3)想要實施專利權對抗侵權或共同侵權；(4)拒絕授權或使用專利權；(5)除了專利權人有很大的市場力外，以獲得其他專利或購買產品作為取得專利權授權或專利物品販售的條件。
- 271(e) - 構成與不構成侵權行為的事項，關於DNA、藥品與生化物品的製造、使用、販售、販售要約與進口等行為規範。
- 271(f) - (1)在美國或從美國未經許可供應或致使供應專利物的元件全部或主要部分，而這些部分在美國境外未被組合，而在美國境內組合，仍構成侵權；(2)未經許可供應或致使供應任何專利物的元件，而此元件特別是用在專利物上，而對不侵權的使用不是主要的部分，而此元件在美國境外未被組合，如果在美國境內組合，視為侵權。
- 271(g) - 方法專利及於以該方法製造的物品：未被許可進口美國或在美國境內販售要約、販售或使用經專利程序製造的物品，視為侵權。在方法專利侵權行為中，非商業使用或銷售方法製成的物品，不用賠償，除非沒有足夠的賠償。(1)若製程有重大改變，或是(2)變成另一種物品不重要的部分時，就不是該方法製成的物品。
- 271(h) - 定義本章名詞。
本部落格中有關35 U.S.C. 271議題的報導：
- 供應國外生產的多元件侵權產品的單一元件不構成侵害271(f)(1) - Life Technologies Corp. v. Promega Corp. (Supreme Court 2017)（http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2017/02/271f1-life-technologies-corp-v-promega.html）
最高法院解釋：271(f)(1)中的"substantial portion"解釋為「大量」或「多的」，而不像是「重要的部分」，因此法院認定所述"單一元件"（"single component"）並不構成271(f)(1)中的"substantial portion"，理由是單一元件並非271(f)(1)指的"多量"。
在國外製造的「多元件發明的其中之一元件」並不承擔271(f)(1)的侵權責任。
"The supply of a single component of a multicomponent invention for manufacture abroad does not give rise to §271(f)(1) liability." - 多人共同專利侵權的責任 - Limelight v. Akamai Inc. (Supreme Court 2014)（http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2016/08/limelight-v-akamai-inc-supreme-court.html）
最高法院認為CAFC誤解專利法基於「方法」專利範圍的解釋的侵權判斷，方法專利範圍由多個步驟組成，除非全部步驟被一方實施，否則沒有專利侵權的事實。
對於「誘使侵權」的判斷，法院引用美國專利法271(f)(1)，如果有一方在美國供應或致使供應專利範圍中全部或實質重要的部分，雖在美國國外生產，但在美國國內組裝，仍可能導致誘使侵權。 - 誘使侵權案例討論 - Global-Tech Appliances, Inc. v. SEB S.A. (2011)（http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2015/09/global-tech-appliances-inc-v-seb-sa-2011.html）
誘使侵權要成立，要證明被告已知悉誘導行為會導致專利侵權，誘使侵權定義如下：
- 主動誘使專利侵權者，視為侵權者，誘使者需引導某侵權行為，且知道這是侵權行為。
- 誘導侵權與共同侵權（contributory infringement）不同，但曾被認為是同一種侵權行為，也就是協助及教唆直接侵權者（“aiding and abetting of direct infringement by another party”），經§271修法後，分為271(b)的誘使侵權，以及271(c)的販售侵權物元件（component）兩種。
- 忽視已知專利存在的風險仍不滿足271(b)誘使侵權的規定。
- 如有足夠的證據證明，刻意視而不見（doctrine of willful blindness）仍滿足犯罪行為（侵權）。
- 刻意視而不見成立的要件：被告主觀相信有高機率事實存在（專利存在）；被告有故意迴避知悉事實的動作。 - 專利權對於商品的影響（權利耗盡） - Impression v. Lexmark (Fed. Cir. 2016)（http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2016/03/impression-v-lexmark-fir-cir-2016.html）
CAFC認為，專利權或是原廠權利是否及於之後買方的使用行為可以透過契約規範，除非這個契約違反其他法律（如反托辣斯法），至少原廠並沒有授權之後再使用、再販售的行為，特別是美國專利法第271條中進口產品仍受專利權限制的規定。 - 最高法院對權利耗盡的明確態度 - Impression Products, Inc. v. Lexmark International, Inc.（http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2017/06/impression-products-inc-v-lexmark.html）
（明確保留權利規則，"express-reservation rule"）如此，最高法院的決定表示美國在權利耗盡原則中採取中立立場，除非專利權人明確表明保留權利，否則海外銷售將已經耗盡專利權。因為這個明確立場將影響海外購買者的期待，例如期待權利已經耗盡而可以自由地重新使用與重新銷售。
[相關法條]
35 U.S.C. 271（https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/35/271）
35 U.S. Code § 271 - Infringement of patent
(a)
Except as otherwise provided in this title, whoever without authority makes, uses, offers to sell, or sells any patented invention, within the United States or imports into the United States any patented invention during the term of the patent therefor, infringes the patent.
Whoever offers to sell or sells within the United States or imports into the United States a component of a patented machine, manufacture, combination or composition, or a material or apparatus for use in practicing a patented process, constituting a material part of the invention, knowing the same to be especially made or especially adapted for use in an infringement of such patent, and not a staple article or commodity of commerce suitable for substantial noninfringing use, shall be liable as a contributory infringer.
No patent owner otherwise entitled to relief for infringement or contributory infringement of a patent shall be denied relief or deemed guilty of misuse or illegal extension of the patent right by reason of his having done one or more of the following: (1) derived revenue from acts which if performed by another without his consent would constitute contributory infringement of the patent; (2) licensed or authorized another to perform acts which if performed without his consent would constitute contributory infringement of the patent; (3) sought to enforce his patent rights against infringement or contributory infringement; (4) refused to license or use any rights to the patent; or (5) conditioned the license of any rights to the patent or the sale of the patented product on the acquisition of a license to rights in another patent or purchase of a separate product, unless, in view of the circumstances, the patent owner has market power in the relevant market for the patent or patented product on which the license or sale is conditioned.
(e)
(1)
It shall not be an act of infringement to make, use, offer to sell, or sell within the United States or import into the United States a patented invention (other than a new animal drug or veterinary biological product (as those terms are used in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Act of March 4, 1913) which is primarily manufactured using recombinant DNA, recombinant RNA, hybridoma technology, or other processes involving site specific genetic manipulation techniques) solely for uses reasonably related to the development and submission of information under a Federal law which regulates the manufacture, use, or sale of drugs or veterinary biological products.
(2)It shall be an act of infringement to submit—
(A)
an application under section 505(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or described in section 505(b)(2) of such Act for a drug claimed in a patent or the use of which is claimed in a patent,
(B)
an application under section 512 of such Act or under the Act of March 4, 1913(21 U.S.C. 151–158) for a drug or veterinary biological product which is not primarily manufactured using recombinant DNA, recombinant RNA, hybridoma technology, or other processes involving site specific genetic manipulation techniques and which is claimed in a patent or the use of which is claimed in a patent, or
(C)
if the purpose of such submission is to obtain approval under such Act to engage in the commercial manufacture, use, or sale of a drug, veterinary biological product, or biological product claimed in a patent or the use of which is claimed in a patent before the expiration of such patent.
(3)
In any action for patent infringement brought under this section, no injunctive or other relief may be granted which would prohibit the making, using, offering to sell, or selling within the United States or importing into the United States of a patented invention under paragraph (1).
(4)For an act of infringement described in paragraph (2)—
(A)
the court shall order the effective date of any approval of the drug or veterinary biological product involved in the infringement to be a date which is not earlier than the date of the expiration of the patent which has been infringed,
(B)
injunctive relief may be granted against an infringer to prevent the commercial manufacture, use, offer to sell, or sale within the United States or importation into the United States of an approved drug, veterinary biological product, or biological product,
(C)
damages or other monetary relief may be awarded against an infringer only if there has been commercial manufacture, use, offer to sell, or sale within the United States or importation into the United States of an approved drug, veterinary biological product, or biological product, and
(D)
the court shall order a permanent injunction prohibiting any infringement of the patent by the biological product involved in the infringement until a date which is not earlier than the date of the expiration of the patent that has been infringed under paragraph (2)(C), provided the patent is the subject of a final court decision, as defined in section 351(k)(6) of the Public Health Service Act, in an action for infringement of the patent under section 351(l)(6) of such Act, and the biological product has not yet been approved because of section 351(k)(7) of such Act.
The remedies prescribed by subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) are the only remedies which may be granted by a court for an act of infringement described in paragraph (2), except that a court may award attorney fees under section 285.
(5)
Where a person has filed an application described in paragraph (2) that includes a certification under subsection (b)(2)(A)(iv) or (j)(2)(A)(vii)(IV) of section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355), and neither the owner of the patent that is the subject of the certification nor the holder of the approved application under subsection (b) of such section for the drug that is claimed by the patent or a use of which is claimed by the patent brought an action for infringement of such patent before the expiration of 45 days after the date on which the notice given under subsection (b)(3) or (j)(2)(B) of such section was received, the courts of the United States shall, to the extent consistent with the Constitution, have subject matter jurisdiction in any action brought by such person under section 2201 of title 28 for a declaratory judgment that such patent is invalid or not infringed.
(6)
(A)Subparagraph (B) applies, in lieu of paragraph (4), in the case of a patent—
(i)
that is identified, as applicable, in the list of patents described in section 351(l)(4) of the Public Health Service Act or the lists of patents described in section 351(l)(5)(B) of such Act with respect to a biological product; and
(B)
In an action for infringement of a patent described in subparagraph (A), the sole and exclusive remedy that may be granted by a court, upon a finding that the making, using, offering to sell, selling, or importation into the United States of the biological product that is the subject of the action infringed the patent, shall be a reasonable royalty.
(C)
The owner of a patent that should have been included in the list described in section 351(l)(3)(A) of the Public Health Service Act, including as provided under section 351(l)(7) of such Act for a biological product, but was not timely included in such list, may not bring an action under this section for infringement of the patent with respect to the biological product.
(f)
(1)
Whoever without authority supplies or causes to be supplied in or from the United States all or a substantial portion of the components of a patented invention, where such components are uncombined in whole or in part, in such manner as to actively induce the combination of such components outside of the United States in a manner that would infringe the patent if such combination occurred within the United States, shall be liable as an infringer.
(2)
Whoever without authority supplies or causes to be supplied in or from the United States any component of a patented invention that is especially made or especially adapted for use in the invention and not a staple article or commodity of commerce suitable for substantial noninfringing use, where such component is uncombined in whole or in part, knowing that such component is so made or adapted and intending that such component will be combined outside of the United States in a manner that would infringe the patent if such combination occurred within the United States, shall be liable as an infringer.
(g)Whoever without authority imports into the United States or offers to sell, sells, or uses within the United States a product which is made by a process patented in the United States shall be liable as an infringer, if the importation, offer to sell, sale, or use of the product occurs during the term of such process patent. In an action for infringement of a process patent, no remedy may be granted for infringement on account of the noncommercial use or retail sale of a product unless there is no adequate remedy under this title for infringement on account of the importation or other use, offer to sell, or sale of that product. A product which is made by a patented process will, for purposes of this title, not be considered to be so made after—
(h)
Ron
As used in this section, the term “whoever” includes any State, any instrumentality of a State, and any officer or employee of a State or instrumentality of a State acting in his official capacity. Any State, and any such instrumentality, officer, or employee, shall be subject to the provisions of this title in the same manner and to the same extent as any nongovernmental entity.
沒有留言:
張貼留言