論電影著作之首輪公開上映權

The Right of First-Run Public Presentation in Cinematographic Works

本文嘗試從智慧財產法院102年度民著訴字第6號民事判決，並著重在損害賠償計算之爭點，據此提議「首輪公開上映權」。本文指出「首輪公開上映權」是基於著作權法所賦予的「公開上映權」，而在電影法規下所生之特定利用環境下所萃取之概念。「首輪公開上映權」的形成涉及首輪電影院的態度、電影著作的性質、電影發行商的地位等因素。舉證上而言，若電影發行商握有與首輪電影院的映演合約，則該首輪公開上映權即可成立。「首輪公開上映權」所保護利益有「存在期間」，有產業慣例參酌而可推測。「首輪公開上映權」乃保障在首輪電影院映演電影之「權利」，則讓該專有權利無法合理實踐之行為應屬侵權行為。侵權行為之損害賠償計算可基於系爭電影著作所可預期的票房。至於禁止侵害請求權，法院可考量電影院的利用情境而核定適當的範圍或內容。

This paper attempts to propose an idea of the right of first-run public presentation in cinematographic works by drawing such an idea from Intellectual Property Court Min Zhu Su Zi No.6 Civil Judgement (Year 102) with a focus on the issue of damages calculation. The right of first-run public presentation is extracted from the right of public presentation vested in the Copyright Act and based on a use needed in a particular environment governed by the Motion Picture Act and related regulations. The formation of the right of first-run public presentation involves factors such as the attitude of a first-run movie theater, the nature of a cinematographic work, the status of a film agency. A film agency’s acquisition of a contract with a first-run movie theater may be used to prove that such an agency holds the right of first-run public presentation. The interests protected by the right of first-run public presentation may last for a certain period of time which may be evaluated through industrial practices. The right of first- run public presentation aims at protecting the interests where a movie can be displayed in movie theaters, so an act of interfering the reasonable realization of such the interests may constitute an infringement of the right of first-run public presentation. Damage calculation may be based on the expected revenue of a disputed movie. As for an injunctive relief, a proper scope and content of such a relief may be imposed according to a use intended for a movie theater.