論商標權人懈怠與侵權行為人損害賠償責任──兼論美國與兩岸商標法制之相關爭議發展

Laches and theLiability for Damages─Comments on the Development of RelevantDisputes in the Trademark Law Systemsof the United States and Both Sidesof the Taiwan Strait

本文以美國商標法制為中心，主要研究懈怠抗辯之發展以及關於以侵害所得利益計算損害賠償責任。商標侵權案件中侵權行為人提出商標權人懈怠之抗辯成立，將影響法院決定商標侵害損害賠償之金額。侵權行為人主觀故意侵害商標權並非是以侵害所得利益作為賠償範圍的前提條件。合理運用懈怠抗辯，將侵權行為人係故意侵害作為侵害所得利益賠償之參考因素，均可有效衡平商標侵權訴訟中當事人之利益。另以美國Romag v. Fossil案作案例研究，從實務角度掌握美國法院關於懈怠抗辯與損害賠償責任的觀點。最後對兩岸商標法制中關於商標權人懈怠與侵權行為人損害賠償責任進行比較研究，提出對兩岸商標法制度完善之建議，俾使於商標侵權爭訟中可合理平衡不同利益之抗爭。

Focusing on the American trademark law, this article mainly studiesabout the development of the defense of laches and about the liability fordamages concerning a profits award. In a trademark case, if the infringersucceeds on a laches defense, it will affect the court’s decision on themonetary compensation for trademark infringement damages. The fact thatthe infringer willfully infringed the trademark is not the precondition forthe court to make a decision about the recovery of the defendant’s profits.By reasonably making use of the defense of laches and taking a finding ofwillful infringement as a reference factor to permit an award ofdefendant’s profits, it can effectively balance the interests of the parties intrademark case. In addition, there will be a case study of Romag v. Fossilin the United States, from which case the viewpoints mainly according to American courts about the defense of laches and about liability fordamages will be analyzed. Lastly, a comparison will be made about thetrademark owner’s delay in bringing suits and the liability of the infringerin the trademark law systems of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. And thesuggestions on the improvement will be put forward, so as to reasonablybalance the different interests in the trademark infringement claims.