Kējì Fǎxué Pínglùn (Dec 2011)

論電視節目版式之著作權保護 Copyright Protection for TV Program Format

  • 張瑞星 Ruey-Hsing Chang

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 2
pp. 75 – 128

Abstract

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電視節目版式(TV program format)的國際授權產值已達千億臺幣之多,但法律對電視節目版式究竟是否給予保護並無確定見解,此亦造成電視節目版式遭抄襲的情況嚴重。本文自分析電視節目版式之內涵及國際間各相關案例之處理情形著手,認為未經授權利用他人已公開節目版式的類型,就節目版式的高價值性、創作的高經濟誘因、版式的高具體表達性而言,若將此階段的電視節目版式歸類為概念,其著作權法保護似有不周;本文亦自各國案例的推論、概念與表達二分原則及美國最高法院Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service Co.之法理發現:凡將節目元素(包含抽象節目概念及具體場景、音樂、圖像、劇本等)加以創作性的選擇編排而使演出的結構、順序、組織、流程及風格具備特殊性,並可使觀眾明顯識別其為同一系列電視節目;凡達到此具體程度者,可受著作權法保護,若否,則應認定為概念而不受著作權法保護。 International licensing of TV program formats is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The lack of legal consequences for plagiarizing another’s program format naturally leads to a great tendency to engage in copyright infringement. Most international courts support that an advanced published TV program format which is definitely not a simple idea but a more concrete expression is eligible for copyright protection because of its high resource investment and strong economic incentive for creators. This article argues that if an creative compilation of “facts” can be protected, according to the US Supreme Court Case in Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service Co., an creative compilation of “ideas” must also be worthy of protection. Along with analyzing international cases and Idea/Expression Dichotomy, this article concludes that if creativity and specificity is shown in a TV program format by applying creative selection and arrangement of what idea to include or exclude and the audience can easily sort out the TV program itself as the same serial of program by recognizing the specificity of structure, sequence, organization and style, copyright protection shall apply to the TV program format.

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