Kējì Fǎxué Pínglùn (Jun 2004)
商業方法軟體專利之標的適格性研究 ― 以比較法之研究為中心 The Patentable Subject Matter of Business Method Patents: An Analysis from a Perspective on Comparative Law
Abstract
本文於第2 部分先就商業方法軟體依軟體系統之架構予以定義，以觀察其特殊性，並作為發明專利標的適格分析之基礎。第3 部分則概述商業方法軟體之施以專利保護，對產業與專利審查實務所造成之影響。第4 部分係探討商業方法軟體是否得為發明專利之標的，而依次簡介美國法之規定與實務見解、日本特許法之規定與特許廳之態度、歐洲專利公約與專利局之立場，並由我國專利法之規定，論述絕大多數之商業方法軟體專利，其發明專利之標的適格性乃有欠缺；另就我國智慧財產局所公布之「電腦軟體相關發明專利審查基準」加以探討，及提出個人淺見，並就智慧財產局已核准商業方法軟體專利之實例，予以個案分析。第5 部分則提出個人對商業方法軟體專利之淺見及對我國未來專利保護方向之芻議，以為結 論。 This thesis first in Chapter II defines and identifies business method software under modern computer software architecture so as to form the foundation on which the patentable subject matter of business method software can be further analyzed. In Chapter III follows an overview of how patenting business method software impacts on industry and patent examination practice. Chapter IV analyzes whether business method software qualifies as patentable subject matter from a perspective on comparative legal research in American laws, Japanese laws and the European Patent Convention, and explicates that most of the business method patents granted are unqualified under the interpretation of current ROC Patent Law; this Chapter also reviews the “Examination Guidelines for Computer- Related Software Inventions” promulgated by the Intellectual Property Office from a different perspective and illustrates thereof with a business method patent granted by the Intellectual Property Office. Chapter V concludes this article by offering personal opinions on business method patent and proposing the direction for future patent protection.
