A Study on Prior Use Defence in Chinese Trademark Law

중국 상표법상 선사용 항변에 관한 연구

This study is to investigate Trademark Prior Use Defence of prior use party under Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China. Chinese Trademark Law was amended for the third time and this Law shall enter into force on 1 May 2014. This third amendment introduced Prior Use Defence Right of Trademark for the first time. Article 59(3) gives the right to the prior use party for the continuous use of such trademark under the condition that first, an identical or similar trademark has been used in connection with the same goods or similar goods by others before the registrant's application, second, such trademark should have a certain influence in certain market, and third, such aforesaid trademark should be used within the original scope continuously. Then the exclusive right holder of said registered trademark shall have no right to prohibit others from continuous use of such trademark. Korean companies should be aware that it is almost impossible to search prior use trademark before a dispute arises, since the prior use trademark has never been registered. The best way to control the prior use trademark is to superintend aforesaid trademark for the use within the original scope.

중국은 2014년 5월 1일부터 제3차 개정 중화인민공화국 상표법(《中华人民共和国商标法》)을 시행하고 있는바, 제3차 개정은 선사용 항변조항(제59조 제3항)을 신설하여 선사용인의 항변권을 법적으로 보호하기 시작하였다. 이에 대한 실무적 기준을 검토하기 위하여 본고는 중국최고인민법원이 공표한 금년도 10대 지식재산권판결 중 선사용 항변권이 인정된 판결을 중심으로 선사용 항변권이 인정되는 기준과 요건을 고찰한다.