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I. 簡介
Promoting
environmentally friendly innovation has become a key priority in national and
international environmental policy.推動環保創新已成為國家和國際環境政策的一項重點。智慧財Intellectual property (IP)
regimes, particularly patent laws, are perhaps the most important of the
regulatory vehicles that promote technological innovation.產權(IP)制度,尤其是專利法,也許是推進技術創新最重要的監管工具。For this reason, a number of national IP
offices have instituted measures to fast-track “green” patent applications.出於這個原因,一些國家智慧財產局已經制定快速道路“綠能”專利申請案的措施。The first such program was
established by the UK in May 2009, followed in the same year by Australia,
Israel, Japan, South Korea, and the United States.第一個這樣的計畫是由英國在2009年5月建立,緊接著在同年由澳洲、以色列、日本、南韓和美國建立。More recently, Canada (in March
2011) and Brazil and China (in 2012) launched similar programs.最近,加拿大(2011年3月)以及巴西和中國(2012年)推出了類似的計劃。Under these programs, the time
needed to obtain a patent can be reduced significantly-from several years to
just a few months.根據這些計畫,獲得專利所需的時間可被顯著減少─從幾年到短短幾個月。
This article
presents the main findings of two papers recently published by the authors
about green patent fast-track programs.本文呈現了最近由綠能專利的快速道路計畫的作者發表的兩篇論文的主要結論。由國際貿易和可持續發展中心(ICTSD)出版的The first study (Dechezlepretre,
2013), published by the International Centre for trade and Sustainable
Development (ICTSD), provides the first empirical analysis of these
fast-track procedures, based on data from Australia, Canadam Israel, Japan,
South Korea, the UK, and the United States.第一項研究(Dechezleprêtre,2013年),基於來自澳洲、加拿大、以色列、日本、南韓、英國和美國的資料,提供了這些快速道路審查的第一實證分析。The second paper (Lane, 2012),
published in the Berkeley Technology Law Journal (BTLJ), analyzes the rules
governing the various program in term of eligibility requirements and process
parameters and recommends that the programs be harmonized to make their rules
uniform across all national IP offices.第二篇論文(Lane,2012),發表在伯克利科技法律雜誌(Berkeley Technology Law
Journal,BTLJ),以適格性要求和程序參數來分析規範各種方案的法規,並建議對計畫進行協調,以使它們的規則在所有國家的智慧財產局統一。
II.II. 計畫Overview of the Programs概述
為了完全了To best understand and analyze
the programs, it is helpful to separate out the two major categories of
program rules: eligibility requirements and process requirements.解和分析計畫,分出兩大類的計畫規定是有幫助的:適格性要求和程序要求。
A. Eligibility requirementsA.適格性要求
適Eligibility requirements determine which patent applications
may participate in the fast-track programs.格要求決定哪些專利申請案可以參與快速道路計畫。In particular, subject-matter
eligibility defines the categories of green technology that qualify for
accelerated examination.特別是,標的適格性定義了有資格獲得加速審查的綠色科技的類別。可請求The type of technology for which
accelerated examination can be requested differs widely across patent
offices.此加速審查的技術類型,在不同專利局之間有很大差異。In Australia, Canada, and the
UK, all environmentally friendly inventions are eligible.在澳洲、加拿大和英國,所有的環保發明都是適格的。The applicant must submit a letter
explaining why the invention has environmental benefits.申請人必須呈送一封信,解釋為什麼該發明對環境有益。However, Brazil, China, Japan,
and the United States place some restrictions on the technologies permitted.然而,巴西、中國、日本和美國對許可的科技有一些限制。For example, only energy-saving and
carbon-saving technologies are allowed in Japan.例如,在日本只有節能和減碳技術可被允許。南South Korea has the most
stringent requirements, including a framework of specific enumerated
technology classes.韓擁有最嚴格的要求,包括具體列舉的技術類的框架。In South Korea, technologies (in
particular renewable energy) generally are eligible only if the invention is
funded or accredited by the government or given “green certification” by
relevant government environmental laws.在南韓,技術(尤其是可再生能源),通常只有當發明由政府資助或認可、或具有相關政府環保法律賦予的“綠色認證” 時才有資格。The Israeli program also defines subject matter eligibility by
strictly enumerated technology classes, although it does not have a funding
or certification requirement.以色列計畫雖然它不具有籌資或認證要求,但也以嚴格列舉的技術類別定義標的適格性。
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