□ 文希凱
在美國，專利權人有權依法禁止他人在美國生產其受保護的專利產品和在海外仿制其專利產品後銷往美國。有兩條途徑可以起訴這種侵權行為：利用1930年美國關稅法第337條（以下簡稱第337條）向美國國際貿易委員會提出；向聯邦地區法院提出。但越來越多的美國企業利用337條並非為防止國際侵權，而是為阻止進口。隨著國際社會對保護知識產權的日益重視和中美貿易持續增長，在美國開展業務的中國生產商必須正視其出於不公平貿易而被美國公司起訴至美國國際貿易委員會、貨物被美國海關禁止進口的危險。為此，知識產權專家提醒，要掌握規則，防“337糾紛”於未然。
何為337條款
根據第337條，美國國際貿易委員會有權拒絕壹切侵犯美國知識產權的產品進入美國。作為“準司法機構”，美國國際貿易委員會起保護美國公司免受外國公司的不公平競爭的作用。美國國際貿易委員會壹旦認定某項進口貨物存在不公平貿易，遭受不公平貿易的美國公司會向其提出美國國門應向該貨物關閉的要求。
根據第337條，可向美國國際貿易委員會提起的起訴壹般包括進口貨物存在對知識產權侵犯的指控。美國國際貿易委員會對勝訴方的救濟的形式包括排除令——對某特定產品禁止進口，以及停止或拒絕令——禁止進口方進入，也可同時發出兩個命令。可見，壹旦美國權利人勝訴，對進口方將產生致命打擊。
第337條禁止的是壹切不公平競爭行為或向美國進口產品中的任何不公平行為，所謂“進口貿易中的不公平做法”是指：“貨物所有人、進口人、收貨人或其代理人將貨物進口美國或在美國銷售時使用不公平競爭方法和不公平行為，其威脅或效果足以摧毀或實質損害美國國內產業，或阻礙此類產業的建立，或限制、壟斷了美國的貿易和商業，或者將貨物進口美國、或為進口美國而銷售，或進口美國後銷售，而該種貨物侵犯了美國己經登記的有效且可執行的專利權、商標權、版權或集成電路芯片布圖設計專有權，並且在這四項權利方面己經存在或者尚在建立”。
這表明衡量不公平做法的標準是該進口是否對美國某產業的生存或發展構成威脅或損害，例如妨礙或扼制某產業的形成、導致在美國形成貿易壟斷等。第337條特別用於禁止任何侵犯美國知識產權的產品進入美國市場，禁止任何在國外利用有效美國專利方法生產的產品進入美國市場。這在客觀上使美國知識產權權利人比外國競爭者更具優勢，明顯使外國競爭者在進入美國市場時受第337條訴訟的威脅或困擾，而必須考慮用昂貴的訴訟程序維護自己的利益。第337條提供的救濟較之美國國內侵權訴訟當事人向美國地區法院起訴所能得到的救濟也更為直接。此外，外國公司在美國國際貿易委員會中面對的行政程序也比在美國地區法院更為繁瑣。
委員會的調查
根據第337條，進口行為是否為不公平做法取決於美國國際貿易委員會的調查，其“應當依請求或者依其職權對任何指控的違法行為進行調查。在調查開始後，委員會應當就此在聯邦登記簿上發布公告，並應當盡早結束調查並作出決定。為了促進快速審判，委員會應當在調查開始後的45天內，確定其作出終局決定的目標日”。整個程序通常需要壹年，較為復雜的案件則可以延期6個月結束，但也必須在18個月內完成。
美國國際貿易委員會應當及時指定行政法官，並將337調查轉移由該法官主持。如果調查結果是當事方違犯了第337條的規定，委員會將發出命令，禁止由違法方輸入的所有侵權貨物進入美國。“考慮到這種排除對公***健康和福利、美國經濟中的競爭條件、類似的或者直接的競爭產品在美國的生產、美國消費者的影響”，委員會若認為不應當排除該類物品進入美國，也可選擇不采取行動。
在選擇禁止貨物進入美國的情況下，美國國際貿易委員會的該禁止令應僅限於被發現違法的、由違法方輸入的所有物品，這是“有限排除令”或“有限禁止令”。另壹方面，為避免有限排除令的片面性，或如果己對侵權情況有所了解，而且難於識別貨物的來源，美國國際貿易委員會有權不管進口方的身份對所有類似產品壹律予以排除，這被稱為“普遍排除令”，或“總禁止令”。它禁止某壹種類的所有進口產品進入美國市場，而不區別原產地或生產商和目前尚未掌握的未來的生產商和進口商。
如果在調查進行之間，美國國際貿易委員會認為侵權正在發生，有權發布臨時排除令。但進口方只要按美國國際貿易委員會規定的金額提供擔保，充分保護美國起訴方的利益不受傷害，則進口方的貨物仍可進入美國市場。除排除令外，美國國際貿易委員會可以發布命令，要求違法方停止和不再從事不公平競爭行為，也可能發布臨時停止或拒絕令。不遵守命令將面臨大約10萬美元或相當於其每天違令輸入美國產品的國內價值兩倍的民事處罰。
美國國際貿易委員會也能發布命令，對違反第337條規定輸入的產品進行扣押和沒收。扣押和沒收產品只發生在權利人、進口方或者保管人先前曾嘗試輸入該產品，該產品由於排除令被拒絕進口，而且進口方在前次進口時曾被送達排除令並已被通知其產品有可能被扣押和沒收的情況。
終局決定
無論美國國際貿易委員會作何種決定，最後須由美國總統核審。美國總統收到決定後60天內可否定美國國際貿易委員會的決定，則該決定停止有效。如果總統贊同美國國際貿易委員會的命令，或者在60天內不否定該命令，除可能接受美國聯邦法院上訴庭的司法審查外，美國國際貿易委員會的決定和命令則成為終局決定。
總之，根據337條款，美國企業只要能證明進口產品有違法或侵犯知識產權的事實，並且美國國內確實有相關產業即可申請國際貿易委員會立案，對競爭對手起到牽制和限制作用。對應訴企業來講，由於調查內容通常涉及知識產權保護和專業技術，往往必須依靠律師和技術專家，負擔十分繁重。企業應盡量預先做好與知識產權有關的調查研究工作，盡量避免自己陷入337條款糾紛。
Interpretation of the U.S. Section 337
□ Wen Xikai
In the United States, people have the right to patent law to prohibit the production of others in the United States protected its patent products and overseas patent imitation of its products to the United States. There are two ways to prosecute such violations: The 1930 U.S. tariff law Article 337 (hereinafter referred to Article 337) to the U.S. International Trade Commission; to the federal district court. But more and more U.S. companies are not using 337 for the prevention of international infringement, but in order to prevent the imports. As the international community to protect intellectual property rights and the increasing emphasis on sustained growth of Sino-US trade in the United States operating in China must face up to its manufacturers an unfair trade for U.S. companies have been prosecuted to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the goods prohibited by the U.S. Customs The risk of imports. To that end, intellectual property experts advise, it is necessary to have rules, anti-"337 disputes" in Weiran.
What is Section 337
Under section 337, the U.S. International Trade Commission the right to reject all violations of U.S. intellectual property products into the United States. As a "quasi-judicial body," the U.S. International Trade Commission to protect U.S. companies from foreign companies, the role of unfair competition. Once the U.S. International Trade Commission that imports of goods there is a fair trade, unfair trade, U.S. companies will be put to it by the United States the country should close the request of the goods.
Under section 337 may be directed to the U.S. International Trade Commission instituted the prosecution of the general existence of imports of goods, including allegations of violations of intellectual property rights. The U.S. International Trade Commission Sheng Sufang relief in the form of exclusion orders - of a certain product import ban and stop or refuse to - banned the import side access, can also issued two orders. Thus, if the United States won the right people, the importer will have a fatal blow.
Section 337 is prohibited by all acts of unfair competition or imported products to the United States in any unfair act, the so-called "import of unfair trade practices" means: "all goods, the importer, the consignee or his agent Imports of goods will be sold in the United States or the United States the use of unfair methods of competition and unfair acts, the threat or effect to destroy or damage the U.S. domestic industry in real terms, or hinder the establishment of such industries, or limit, a monopoly of the U.S. trade and Commercial, or imports of goods the United States, or imports for the United States and sales, or sales of imports after the United States, and the kinds of violations of the United States has been registered valid, enforceable patent, trademark, copyright or integrated circuit chip layout Proprietary design, and in this four rights has been established there, or is still. "
This shows that the practice is unfair to measure the standard is whether the import of a certain U.S. industries pose a threat to the survival or development or damage to, for example, prevent or curb the formation of a certain industry, resulting in the formation of the U.S. trade monopolies. Article 337 specifically for the prohibition of any violations of U.S. intellectual property products into the U.S. market, to prohibit any use of overseas production of an effective U.S. patent products into the U.S. market. This objective in the United States on intellectual property rights than foreign competitors a better position, obviously to foreign competitors in entering the U.S. market, subject to section 337 of the threat of litigation or distress, but must consider the use of expensive procedures to safeguard its interests . Section 337 provides relief infringement litigants than the United States to the United States District Court for prosecution can also be a relief more directly. In addition, foreign companies in the United States International Trade Commission in the face of the administrative procedures than in the United States District Court for a more cumbersome.
Commission of Inquiry
Under section 337, imports of whether unfair practices on the U.S. International Trade Commission's investigation, "or should be, if so requested, according to the terms of reference to any alleged offence under investigation. In the investigation began, the Committee should be in the Federal Register this Book on the announcement, and should be concluded as soon as possible to investigate and make a decision. In order to facilitate speedy trial, the Committee should be the start of the investigation within 45 days, to determine its final decision on the target. " The whole process usually takes a year, more complicated cases can be delayed six months ended, but must also be completed within 18 months.
The U.S. International Trade Commission administrative judge should be designated a timely manner, and 337 investigations of judges presided over by the transfer. If the findings of the parties is a violation of the provisions of section 337, the Commission will issue an order to prohibit the illegal importation from all infringing goods entering the United States. "Taking into account this exclusion of public health and welfare of the U.S. economy in the conditions of competition, similar or directly competitive products in the United States, production, the impact on U.S. consumers", the Commission should not rule out the possibility that if such goods into the U.S., Also may choose not to take action.
In the choice of prohibited goods entering the United States circumstances, the U.S. International Trade Commission of the prohibition order should be limited to the offence was discovered by the illegal importation of all goods, which is "limited exclusion order" or "limited prohibition order." On the other hand, the limited exclusion order to avoid one-sidedness, or if the violations have to understand, but difficult to identify the source of goods, the U.S. International Trade Commission have the right to import, regardless of the identity of all similar products will be excluded, which was Known as the "general rule out", or "total prohibition order." It prohibits certain types of all imported products into the U.S. market, without distinction of origin or production and has not yet grasp the future of manufacturers and importers.
If the survey was conducted between the U.S. International Trade Commission that violations are taking place, the power to issue temporary exclusion orders. But as long as the imports by the U.S. International Trade Commission the amount specified in the provision of security and full protection of the interests of the United States prosecution from harm, the importer of the goods can enter the U.S. market. In addition to the exclusion, the U.S. International Trade Commission may issue an order to stop the illegal and no longer engage in acts of unfair competition, may stop or refuse to issue interim orders. Does not comply with the order will face about 100,000 U.S. dollars or the equivalent of the daily breach of its products enter the United States twice the value of the domestic civil penalties.
The U.S. International Trade Commission also issued an order, the breach of section 337 provisions of imported products seized and confiscated. Seizure and Confiscation of products only in the right people, the importer or the custodian had previously tried to enter the product, the product was refused due to the exclusion of imports, but imports in the previous imports had been served and has been ruled out so that informed Products are likely to be seizure and confiscation of the situation.
Final decision
Whether the United States International Trade Commission made the decision to end the trial by the President of the United States. President of the United States received a decision within 60 days after denying the U.S. International Trade Commission's decision, the decision to cease to be valid. If the president agreed with the U.S. International Trade Commission's order, or within 60 days does not deny the order, with the exception of the United States Federal Court may accept the judicial review the Court of Appeal, the U.S. International Trade Commission's decision and order has become final.
In short, under Section 337, U.S. companies can prove that as long as the imported products have breached the law or the fact that the infringement of intellectual property rights, and the United States do have the relevant industries can file applications for International Trade Commission, the rivals played to contain and limit the role. Of the enterprises involved in speaking, usually because of investigation involving intellectual property protection and expertise, often must rely on lawyers and technical experts, the burden is very heavy. Enterprises should do a good job as far as possible in advance related to intellectual property rights investigations and studies, to avoid disputes themselves into 337 articles.