商业方法专利保护

我国商业方法专利的保护问题研究中文摘要I摘要传统的商业方法因为属于智力活动的规则和方法被各国排除在专利保护的大门之外，二十世纪六七十年代以来，计算机和网络技术的兴起带动了电子商务的诞生，随之而来出现了大量与计算机信息网络技术相结合的商业活动，于是一种新的商业方法出现了。1998年的StateStreetBank案中，美国首先确认了商业方法专利的客体地位。一石激起千层浪，欧洲、日本随后都陆续修改自己的专利法，将商业方法专利纳入专利制度保护的范畴。为什么传统的商业方法不受专利保护，而这种与计算机和网络技术结合的商业方法可以受到专利保护？我国目前在商业方法专利方面处于一种什么样的阶段和地位？本文通过对比分析美、日、欧在商业方法专利保护上的立法规定，设计了适合我国国情的商业方法专利保护制度。本文正文分为四个部分：第一部分主要是介绍商业方法及商业方法专利。包括对传统商业方法定义的阐述，新型可专利商业方法的产生背景以及这种商业方法的概括介绍。随后以StateStreetBank案为引子，介绍了商业方法专利在各国确认和发展的大概历程。第二部分分析了商业方法专利之所以成为可专利客体的理由，笔者分别从法哲学和经济学的角度进行了阐述。专利法本质上就是在维持一种利益上的平衡关系，当新型的商业方法出现，将其排除在专利法的大门之外已经不能维持这种平衡时，保护变成了一种必然。然后从经济学的角度进一步阐述了商业方法专利保护的合理性，最后通过对我国所面临商业方法国际挑战的角度，更深层次的解答了我国商业方法保护的必要性；第三部分介绍了商业方法专利的客体认定，着重从其技术性进行了简要的分析，然后解释了构成商业方法专利的实质性要件，即新颖性、创造性和实用性。商业方法专利遵循一般专利法的构成要件，同时又略有不同。最后一部分通过对我国商业方法专利立法和实践现状，提出了自己的看法，并从几个方面对我国商业方法专利保护的对策和立法构建提出了自己建设性的意见。本文最终写作目的是从我国当前的实际情况出发，通过分析国内外商业方法专利的立法和实践环境，反馈与我国当前的专利立法和审查指南，以期将来在商业方法专利立法时提供值得借鉴的思考和对策。关键词：商业方法，商业方法专利，保护，可专利主题英文摘要IIABSTRACTThetraditionalbusinessmethodsasrulesandmethodsofmentalactivitiesareexcludedfrompatentprotectioninmanycountries.From1960s-1970s,theriseofcomputerandnetworktechnologybroughtaboutthebirthofelectroniccommerce,therefollowedalargenumberofcomputerinformationnetworktechnologywiththecombinationofcommercialactivities,andthusanewbusinessapproachhasemerged.Inthecaseof“StateStreetBank”,1998,theUnitedStatesfirstrecognizedthestatusoftheobjectofbusinessmethodpatents.AndthenEurope,Japanhavegraduallymodifiedtheirpatentlaws,putthebusinessmethodpatentintothepatentsystem.Whynotbethetraditionalbusinessmethodpatentprotection,whichthecomputerandnetworktechnologybusinessmethodscanbepatented?Whatkindofstageandstatusisthiscurrentbusinessmethodpatentsin?ThispapercomparedtheUnitedStates,JapanandEuropeinthebusinessmethodpatentprotectiononthelegislationaspect,anddesignedforChina'snationalconditionsofbusinessmethodpatentprotectionregime.Thistextcontentsfourparts:Thefirstpartistointroducethebusinessmethodandbusinessmethodpatents.Includingadescriptionofthetraditionaldefinitionofbusinessmethods,newbusinessmethodscanbepatentedbackgroundandoverviewofthisbusinessmethod.FollowedbyStateStreetBankcase,describedtheidentifyinganddevelopingprocessofbusinessmethodpatentsindifferentcountries.Thesecondpartofthebusinessmethodpatentshavebecometheobjectofpatentabilityreasons,theauthordiscussesthephilosophyoflawandeconomicsfromtheperspectivedescribed.Natureofpatentlawistomaintainabalancebetweeninterests,whenthenewbusinessmethodsappeartoruleoutthedoorinthepatentlawhasbeenunabletomaintainthisbalance,theprotectionbecameanecessity.Andthenfromaneconomicpointofviewfurtherelaboratedreasonablebusinessmethodpatentprotection,andfinallythroughourinternationalchallengesfacingtheperspectiveofbusinessmethods,deeperanswerstheneedforprotectionofbusinessmethodsinChina；Thethirdsectiondescribestheobjectofbusinessmethodpatentsidentified,focusingonabrieffromtechnicalanalysis,andinterpretationconstitutethesubstantiveelementofbusinessmethodpatents,ornovelty,creativityandpracticality.Businessmethodpatentlawfollowsthegeneralcompositionofelements,whileslightlydifferent.Bythelastpartofourbusinessmethodpatentstatusoflegislationandpractice,putforwardhisownviews,andfromseveralaspects英文摘要IIIofourbusinessmethodpatentprotectionstrategiesandputforwardtheirownlegislativebuildingconstructivecomments.Ultimatepurposeofthiswritingisfromtheactualsituationinourcountry,throughtheanalysisofdomesticandinternationalbusinessmethodpatentlegislationandpracticeenvironment,feedbackandourreviewofthecurrentpatentlegislationandguidelinestofuturebusinessmethodpatentlegislationprovideusefullessonsofandcountermeasures.Keywords:BusinessMethod,BusinessMethodPatent,Protection，PatentableSubjectMatter目录IV目录中文摘要..........................................................................................................................................I英文摘要........................................................................................................................................II1前言...........................................................................................................................................12商业方法专利概述...........................................................................................................22.1商业方法概念的演变...........................................................................................................22.1.1传统商业方法............................................................................................................22.1.2商业方法专利中的商业方法....................................................................................22.2商业方法专利的历史沿革...................................................................................................32.2.1商业方法专利保护除外阶段....................................................................................32.2.2美国联邦巡回上诉法院StateStreetBank案...........................................................32.2.3商业方法专利在各国的确认和发展........................................................................43我国商业方法专利保护的正当性分析....