台灣廠商到德國參展的注意事項

台灣廠商到德國參展常遇到競爭對手發動突如其來的扣押動作，使得在德國人生地不熟的台灣廠商不知所措。有些廠商遇到一次後，可能日後都不敢再到德國參展。對於類似狀況，台灣參展的廠商有何因應之道？日前適逢德國慕尼黑Boehmert & Boehmert事務所的律師Peter Gross來訪，請其同事Dr. Michael Rüberg提出幾點簡要的答案。 

一、如果參展廠商確定某競爭者將對其提起專利侵權訴訟, 則廠商可以提出一「保護函」,亦即在展覽之前向管轄法院提出抗辯理由,當有廠商提起假處分時，法院將進行口頭詢問,可避免突如其來的假處分. 

- If the client has indication that a competitor might bring a claim for patent infringement, the client might file a protective writ, i.e. deposit selected defense arguments with the competent court(s) prior to the trade show, with the aim to at least have the court conduct an oral hearing and thereby preventing a "surprise" (ex parte) preliminary injunction.

二、德國最高法院近來對展覽會場的侵害智慧財產權行為有予以限縮的解釋,認為權利人所指稱的侵權行為必須是商品已經德國境內販售,如能構成。展場的商品如果不是以德國的消費者為訴求對象, 此等商品的展出即不構成侵權行為。

The Federal Supreme Court in Germany has recently limited the scope of infringing acts on trade shows by requesting evidence from the claimant that the alleged infringer has actually offered the product "in Germany", which might not be the case (also according to recent case law) if the trade show did not target German customers.

基於此一見解，台灣廠商在產品尚標示「此產品不在德國境內販賣」之字樣，應可避免被認定有侵權的可能。