地理标志法律保护的局限及其经济解释

我国现行法律制度将地理标志的保护纳入到商标法的保护框架之下,这一模式的局限性主要表现为地理标志固有特性与商标法普遍原则存在冲突,导致在实践中其难以获得等同于普通注册商标的保护水平,降低自身溢价,导致公地悲剧。从法经济学的角度解释前述冲突导致的租值消散现象及过程,并结合某些有效的地理标志保护制度安排或实践经验,可以从全新的视角研究地理标志权利困局的经济原理。根据问题成因的微观经济分析,解决思路应着眼于两个方面:明晰权利边界,加强保护力度;地方产业集群内部应探索发展有效的组织协同机制。

The Limitations and Economic Interpretation of Legal Protection of Geographical Indications

Geographical indications are protected mainly by the trademark law in present legal system in China. The limitations of the model are that there are conflicts between the characteristics of geographical indications and the principles of trademark law and the protection of geographical indications cannot reach common level of that to trademarks. The status reduces the premium of these indications and leads to the tragedy of the commons. This paper tries to offer an explanation to the phenomenon and process of rent dissipation caused by aforementioned conflict from the perspective of law economics, analysis the economic principles of geographical indications rights. And from the legal system arrangement and producer cluster level, the article illustrates two kinds of effective system arrangement that proved to be advantageous to geographical indication protection mechanism and to promote the right rent to be realized, then gives ideas and methods to reduce the negative consequences.