台灣專利聯盟(Patent Pool)的可行性探討─以國際產業標準的營運模式為例

Abstract

近年來，台灣高科技廠商開始投注大量的心血在於專利申請上，由公告的美國專利數目，台灣專利權人2005年在美獲取專利數已位居美國以外國家的第三位，在這樣的數據下，應該值得驕傲，然若從訴訟案例來看，台灣廠商卻仍明顯處於被指控專利侵權的窘境，在光電產業、光儲存產業、半導體產業、IC設計業等，有相當多的案例說明台灣廠商雖然在專利的數量上已達一定的成效，但營運上卻因為專利議題而障礙重重。\n許多專利聯盟案例的成功，如MPEG LA與DVD 6C都說明了以專利為基礎所產生標準後能帶來的龐大商業利益。使得標準之爭，成為國際級大集團的必爭之地。反觀台灣或是中國，近年來都有許多與標準相關的聯盟產生，但都未能為主流產品所遵循、參與。\n本文藉由MPEG-2 的案例，對於技術、專利、產品、產業的相互關係作一實證的探討，並以國際級跨國公司的智權管理來分析其營運模鏈式。發現推動標準的領導廠商，在標準制訂過程中，積極地參與標準組織、轉化研發成果為專利；在專利的佈局上，也善用專利申請的技巧在各國廣佈專利；積極推廣標準成為主流後，再組成專利聯盟、訂立授權機制。\n國內廠商，若要制訂標準、組成專利聯盟，應建立許多研發的配套機制，例如研發過程中，標準、產品與專利的結、產業上中下游價值鏈的安排、研發聯盟的組成等。

Hi-tech companies in Taiwan have begun to focus their resources on patent prosecution and the added-value thereafter in recent years. According to the statistics of USPTO, Taiwan ranks 3th on the total patent granted to a foreign origin. This is clearly an achievement to be proud of. However, Taiwan companies are still subject to many infringement challenges, be they in the field of optoelectronics, optical storage, semi-conductor or IC design. Clearly the growing patent ownership has not quite resolved the intellectual property issues these companies must overcome. \n\nThe success of patent pools can bring profit to companies. In cases of MPEG LA and DVD 6C, they makes standard war a critical issue to international companies. On the contrary in Taiwan and China, many alliances aiming to promote standard fail to become standard finally. \n\nThe case of MPEG-2 is analyzed in the aspects of technology, patent, product, industry and also their interactions. In addition, the IP management of the business model is also discussed. We found the leading company of industrial standard are aggressively participating the standard organization and applying patents. In patent application, there were skillfully in filing patents in different countries. After the technology become dominant standards, they start to form patent pool and build the license mechanism.\n\nDomestic companies should establish the infrastructure of R&D before setting standard and forming patent pool. For example, the connections of standard, product development, patent application, industrial value chain and R&D alliance should be planed and established during R&D process.