16
本月專題
非傳統商標保護常見問題之探討
104.02 智慧財產權月刊 VOL.194
13
EUROPA, Trade marks: Commission proposes easier access and more effective protection, available at
last visited Mar. 30, 2014
)
.
14
EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND OF THE COUNCIL, amending Council Regulation
(
EC
)
No 207/2009 on the Community trade
mark.
5.3. Increasing legal certainty
Regulation
(
EC
)
No 207/2009 is amended as follows
(
9
)
Article 4 is replaced by the following:
Article 4
Signs of which a European trade mark may consist
A European trade mark may consist of any signs, in particular words, including
personal names, designs, letters, numerals, colours as such, the shape of goods or of
their packaging, or sounds, provided that such signs are capable of
(
a
)
distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings;
(
b
)
being represented in a manner which enables the competent authorities and the public to determine
the precise subject of the protection afforded to its proprietor.'
last
visited Mar. 30, 2014
)
.
四、結語
Sony Ericsson
所申請的動態商標,在美國申請註冊時,
USPTO
認為本案動態
商標註冊申請案在程序部分僅需修正部分商品或服務名稱,而對商標圖樣、圖樣
描述所呈現出的動態商標並無爭執,經檢索資料庫查無近似前案,且認為該動態
商標本身具有先天識別性,復無其他藍能法(美國商標法)規定不得註冊事由,
因而准予註冊。在歐盟申請註冊時,原本遭
OHIM
以本案無法以「圖文表示」構
成清楚地傳達出具體明確的動態影像,不符
CTMR
第
4
條及第
7
(
1
)(
a
)條規定
予以拒絕。經上訴之後方才得以核准註冊。由此印證商標一項不變的重要定律,
因各國國情不同,案情自屬各異,基於商標審查個案拘束原則,申請人自不得比
附援引執為該商標應准註冊之論據,仍應視個案情況審酌。
另外,針對歐盟的商標申請要件「圖文表示」,原先歐盟執委會(
European
Commission
)預期在
2011
年
10
月提出其修法提案,但為了先調和成員國商標局對
於商品或服務類別標題的處理,故其他提案(
IP Translator
案)提前在該修法提案
先行處理。歐盟執委會
2013
年
3
月
27
日商標制度修正新聞稿
13
中,亦提到對商標規
則的改變。針對共同體商標規則的提案,其中執委會也提議廢除原有的「圖文表
示」要件,取而代之的是「以讓主管機關與公眾得以判斷權利人獲得保護之明確
客體的方式表示(
in a manner which enables the competent authorities and the public
to determine the precise subject of the protection afforded to its proprietor.
)」(第
4
條)
14
。執委會相信如此一來將可以提供商標更多彈性空間,同時保留非傳統商