A Comparative Study of China, Japan, Taiwan and United States on Patent Prior User Right: Legislation and Strategy

專利制度是以保護發明促進創新為本旨，惟專利權過度擴張的結果會導致專利權濫用並阻礙社會整體利用該發明的利益。因此本文以專利制度中的先用權(prior user right)為主題，探討非專利權人之發明人如何能在專利先申請制度下延續其發明之經濟效益。專利先用權有對抗專利權的效果，為專利訴訟中被訴侵權人有利的防禦方法，本文進一步探討專利先用權應如何應用於企業的智財保護策略，以供企業在選擇是否為專利申請及面對訴訟時的參考。 本文第一章為研究目的及方法；第二章分別從法律經濟學及法理學角度切入，分析先用權制度的理論基礎；第三章到第五章為立法例的探討，分別介紹日本、中國及美國的先用權制度及實務；第六章比較前三章立法例的先用權規範，並簡介台灣的先用權制度；第七章以日本企業的智慧財產管理為例，探討日本企業如何在專利保護或營業祕密保護中作選擇，並以專利先用權作為專利申請未獲准及營業祕密保護失效時的替代方案。The main point of patent system is to protect invention and promote innovation, while the results of excessive patent right will lead to patent right abusing which impede the interests of society as a whole using the invention. Therefore, this article focuses on one of the exceptions of patent system—prior user right as a theme, to explore how non-patent inventors can continue their economic benefits of inventions under first-filing patent system. Patent prior user right has the effect of patent right confrontation, and is a favorable defensive approach of alleged infringers when in patent litigation. We further investigate how patent prior user right should be applied in corporate intellectual property strategy, for the reference of companies in patent application choice and patent litigation. The first chapter of this article refers to research purposes and methods. The second chapter goes through the theoretical basis of patent prior user right from prospective views of economics of law and jurisprudence. Chapter three to five introduces the legislations of patent prior user right in Japan, China and the United States. Chapter sixth refers to the comparison of above mentioned legislations, while also go through the introduction of patent prior user right in Taiwan. Chapter seven takes Japanese companies as examples, introducing their intellectual property strategies of choosing IP protection from patent application and trade secret, and using prior user right as an alternative scenario when patent application is denied or the leak of trade secret