商標法之美感功能性理論－－以美國 Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent America Holding 案為探討核心

Fighting for Colors: Aesthetic Functionality Doctrine in Trademark Law－Focusing on Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent America Holding

「美感功能性理論」提出「當消費者購買該產品純然係因為其美感之特徵，即不能受到商標法之保護」，上開理論在過往數十年已成為許多美國商標法案例的主題，這個令人困惑的理論引起許多法院的關注，而企圖建立一套單一的標準以平衡識別商品之保護及鼓勵自由競爭，儘管司法實務已多次適用上開理論，然直到今日，美感功能性理論仍持續困擾法官，具爭議性之聯邦第二巡迴上訴法院 Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent America Holding 案即為適例。Louboutin 案紅色之爭恐怕只是時尚業顏色爭霸戰之首役，Louboutin 案法院所提供之答案比帶來之問題還多，爭議並未止歇，可以想見未來美國最高法院將再度審視本案所衍生之相關爭議。美感功能性理論雖出現相關爭議，然其存在有其正當性基礎及歷史脈絡，第二巡迴上訴法院在近期之 2012 年，仍加以援用而作為裁判之重要基礎，其間之梗概及論述應有值得吾人關注及參考之處。

“Aesthetic functionality doctrine” says “A product that consumers purchase because of a purely aesthetic feature cannot be protected as a trademark”. It has been the subject of many trademark cases throughout the past several decades. This puzzling doctrine caused the courts in their attempts to create a single standard that balances the protection of product identification and encouraging free competition. Despite lots of cases have applied this concept, aesthetic functionality doctrine still confuses the courts to this day, evidenced by Christian Louboutin S.A. v. Yves Saint Laurent America Holding. This case is merely the first battle to come in the fashion war over color. The court handling the Louboutin case left more questions than answers. This dispute is not over, the Supreme Court will revisit this issue once again.