Anti-monopoly law in the compulsory licensing of intellectual property

• Published in: Social sciences in China Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 88 - 98
• Main Author: Wang, Xiaoye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 01.02.2008
• Subjects: anti-monopoly law; Anti-trust legislation; China; Competition; Competition law; Competition policy; compulsory licensing; Incentives; Intellectual Property; Law; Legislation; Licences; Licensing of Intellectual Property; Markets; Monopoly power; Peoples Republic of China; Property; Regulatory policy; restraint of competition; Rights; 反垄断法; 强制许可; 知识产权; 知识产权许可; 限制竞争
• ISSN: 0252-9203; 1940-5952
• DOI: 10.1080/02529200801920830

知识产权是激励创新的机制， 应得到保护；知识产权在市场竞争中又是重要乃至关键的 因素， 因此会受到反垄断法的制约。各国反垄断法一般不把与知识产权相关的限制竞争看成 一个黑白分明的问题， 仅当它们成为市场势力的决定性因素， 且不合理地严重妨碍市场竞争 的时候， 才会受到禁止。考察与知识产权相关的限制竞争需进行综合分析：界定相关市场、 认定当事人关系、确定当事人市场份额、评估限制竞争条款等等。中国的现行法规还不足以 解决与知识产权相关的限制竞争问题， 不过中国立法进程已经表明， 滥用知识产权排除或严 重限制竞争的行为不能从反垄断法得到豁免。 1. This article forms part of the 2006 national major project of the Ministry of Justice on the rule of law and judicial theory, "Market Economy and Anti-monopoly Law: From the Perspective of Intellectual Property" (06SFB 1015). As an incentive to innovation, intellectual property (IP) should be protected by law. However, as it is a key factor in market competition, it should also be subject to competition law. In most jurisdictions, restriction of competition related to IP rights is not a black and white question, and such rights are challenged only when the IP owners hold market power and when protection of their rights has a serious and unreasonable effect on competition. In assessing IP-related restriction of competition, we need to analyze several elements: we have to define the relevant markets, identify the parties concerned, determine their market share, assess the anti-competitive effects of the controls, etc.. China's existing legislation is not adequate to solve problems arising from IP-related restriction of competition. Nevertheless, the process of China's legislation on this issue shows clearly that the misuse of IP rights for the purpose of excluding or signifi cantly restricting competition is not justifi able under competition law.