论商标退化及其法律规制

商标退化是指某一商标标识所具有的显著特征被减弱,逐渐演变为特定商品的通用名称的现象.商标退化产生的原因主要包括:商标本身的显著性较弱、权利人将商标当通用名称使用、新产品的名称难以被接受、权利人不告知产品名称、其他厂商的错误使用、产品长期处于垄断地位、政府部门的不当行为以及字典或媒体的错误描述等.商标退化可能导致商标注册遭到撤销、商标保护范围受到限制以及商标注册不予续展等法律后果,但在课以这些法律后果时,不仅应要求商标本身存在退化为通用名称的客观事实,而且应要求商标权利人具有一定的主观过错.

On Trademark Genericide and Its Legal Regulation

Trademark genericide means the distinct characters of the trademark weakens and gradually changes to be a generic name for its product category.The reasons for trademark genericide are embodied in the following aspects: poor distinctiveness of trademark itself,trademark used as a generic name by its owner,the refuse to accept new product names by its consumers,the decision of not informing the consumers of product names,the mistaken use by other producers,long-term monopolization of product related to its t...