學術機構研究人員專利權歸屬與權益分配之研究──以美國與德國為例

The Study of Ownership of Employed Patent and Invention’s Compensation in Academic Institution: Focused on United States and Germany System

美國在1980年通過拜杜案，奠定「科研成果」之權利歸屬於執行機關，並由其運用之架構。2011年美國最高法院Stanford University v. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.判決以發明人原始取得，發明人轉讓執行機關才能使執行機關取得科研成果之專利權。2018年美國針對若干執行規定進行修正，規範執行機關應執行書面文件，以確保其員工之發明權利讓與執行機關。美國學術機關因應修法所採取之措施以及針對發明人權益分配。德國於廢除教授權利制度，明定學校之研究人員之職務發明可分配之比例，以確保研究人員可分得之財產上之利益，均衡保障科研機構之專利權與研究人員之利益分配權。本文將研究近期美國、德國學術機構之職務發明，其歸屬與報酬分配之法制與學術機構實施之情況，以提供我國現行學術機構研究人員專利權歸屬與權益分配之建議。

In order to raise the performance of commercialization of federal funded research, the U.S. passed the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980. The Bayh-Dole establishes a comprehensive legal framework to enforce, manage and commercialize the patent right of funded scientific research results. Although the Bayh-Dole Act empowers the contractors of the government funding projects to retain the patent rights of research result, the contractor is not automatic entitled to patent right under the framework of the US legal system. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court of Stanford University v. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. ruled that the original ownership of patent right is entitled to inventor. Thus, the inventor shall assign the right to the institutions then the institutions can retain the rights under the funded projects. In 2018, the United States made amendments to certain Bayh-Dole implementing rules which require the contractor take measures to ensure that their employees’ invention rights are assigned to the contractors. Germany is one of leading country in technology transfer in the world. Because of the success of Bayh-Dole model, Germany abolished the professor’s privilege and adopted the Bayh-Dole style to manage and utilize academic patent since 2002. Moreover, the Germany Employed Inventor’s Act provides 30% shares to employed inventors for researchers in the universities or research institutions. This article will exam the law, cases and school regulations with respect to the ownership of patent, and the compensation for inventors both in US and Germany. Further, the article would discuss difference between these two countries to provide suggestions to formulate an incentive oriented system for our research institutions or universities.