美國專利訴訟中關於「律師－委託人特權」與「工作成果豁免權」之探討 Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine/Immunity of the U.S. Patent Litigation

Abstract

本文所欲探討者，乃美國普通法所建立之「律師－委託人特權」 （attorney-client privilege）與「工作成果豁免權」（work product doctrine/immunity）等原則，適用於專利訴訟，以保護特定資訊免於被揭露之現況。第一部分將先分別介紹此二概念之基本內涵。第二部分則針對專利訴訟中，適用此二概念所引發之爭議與相關問題，予以分析與討論。在律師－委託人特權之適用方面，主要探討之主題包括：適用對象是否及於專利律師或專利代理人，與保護客體是否及於包含事實及技術之溝通。而在工作成果豁免權之適用方面，則討論其保護客體是否及於專利申請過程中，專利律師所製作之文件。最後，除說明對其棄權之情形外，亦討論當事人在放棄律師－委託人特權的同時，是否也等於放棄了工作成果豁免權的問題。 This article discusses the application of attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine/immunity to patent litigation to protect some information from being disclosed. First, the authors will introduce their basic concepts. Then the issues and related questions which result from their application to patent litigation will be discussed. The topics related to attorney-client privilege consist of whether it is applicable to patent attorneys or patent agents, and whether it protects factual and technological communications. The topic regarding work product doctrine/immunity is whether it protects documents produced by patent attorneys during patent prosecutions. At last, in addition to explain circumstances of waiver, the authors will discuss whether work product immunity would be waived as well if one waives attorney-client privilege.

Keywords

• 美國專利訴訟
• 律師－委託人特權
• 工作成果豁免權
• 發現程序
• 棄權
• U.S. patent litigation
• attorney-client privilege
• work product doctrine/Immunity
• discovery
• waiver