案情概况

判决时间:2022年5月16日

国家/地区:澳大利亚

诉争事项:异议

诉争商标信息:

【涉外判例】爱彼迎异议澳大利亚商标AIRCAMP案

异议理由

一、《商标条例》42(b)款:

An application for the registration of a trade mark must be rejected if:

(b) its use would be contrary to law.

如果商标的使用违反法律,则必须驳回该商标注册申请。

二、《商标条例》44款:

an application for the registration of a trade mark (applicant’s trade mark) in respect of goods (applicant’s goods) must be rejected if:

(a) the applicant’s trade mark is substantially identical with, or deceptively similar to:

(i) a trade mark registered by another person in respect of similar goods or closely related services; or

(ii) a trade mark whose registration in respect of similar goods or closely related services is being sought by another person; and

(b) the priority date for the registration of the applicant’s trade mark in respect of the applicant’s goods is not earlier than the priority date for the registration of the other trade mark in respect of the similar goods or closely related services.

若商标注册申请同在先商标相同或近似,则不得被注册,即在先近似或相同条款。

三、《商标条例》58款:

The registration of a trade mark may be opposed on the ground that the applicant is not the owner of the trade mark.

异议人可以以申请人不是商标所有人为由对商标注册申请提出异议。

四、《商标条例》58A款:

(1) This section applies to a trade mark (section 44 trade mark) the application for registration of which has been accepted because of:

(a) subsection 44(4); or

(b) a similar provision of the regulations made for the purposes of Part 17A.

(2) The registration of the section 44 trade mark may be opposed on the ground that the owner of the substantially identical or deceptively similar trade mark (similar trade mark) or the predecessor in title:

(a) first used the similar trade mark in respect of:

(i) similar goods or closely related services; or

(ii) similar services or closely related goods;

before the owner of the section 44 trade mark or the predecessor in title in relation to the section 44 trade mark first used the section 44 trade mark; and

(b) has continuously used the similar trade mark in respect of those goods or services since that first use.

异议人可以以申请商标同其商标相同或近似提出异议。

五、《商标条例》60款:

The registration of a trade mark in respect of particular goods or services may be opposed on the ground that:

(a) another trade mark had, before the priority date for the registration of the first‑mentioned trade mark in respect of those goods or services, acquired a reputation in Australia; and

(b) because of the reputation of that other trade mark, the use of the first‑mentioned trade mark would be likely to deceive or cause confusion.

异议人可以以其商标的驰名来异议在后申请的商标注册。

六、《商标条例》62款:

The registration of a trade mark may be opposed on any of the following grounds:

(a) that the application, or a document filed in support of the application, was amended contrary to this Act;

(b) that the Registrar accepted the application for registration on the basis of evidence or representations that were false in material particulars.

商标注册可以以下列任何理由反对:

(a) 该申请或为支持该申请而提交的文件已违反本法进行了修改;

(b) 处长根据虚假的证据或材料而核准的注册申请。

七、《商标条例》62A款:

The registration of a trade mark may be opposed on the ground that the application was made in bad faith.

异议人可以以恶意注册为由对申请商标提出异议。

裁定结果

爱彼迎提交的异议证据材料显示爱彼迎通过住宿预订和向世界各地的消费者宣传澳大利亚,在支持澳大利亚旅游业方面发挥着重要作用。2015-16年,澳大利亚的Airbnb预订了超过800,000次住宿。全国各地的房东在科林伍德到库伯佩迪等不同地方为约210万客人提供了370万晚住宿。Airbnb客人现在是旅游经济的重要推动力,在2015-16年为澳大利亚的 GDP 贡献了 16 亿澳元,还支持了超过14,000个工作岗位,Airbnb商标也一直(并将继续)在社交媒体平台上以及与移动应用程序相关联的情况下使用。

证据清楚表明,在申请商标的申请日前,异议人和异议人的商标已在包括澳大利亚在内的全球范围内享有盛誉,申请人在其证据中的均没有否认知道对方或对方的商标。注册处认为申请商标和异议人商标之间有明显的相似之处:每个都由“Air”这个词和一个直接描述一种住宿形式的已知词组成。此外,双方商标涉及相同的服务,即用于预订住宿的在线平台,对于申请人提交申请商标的真实意图有较多争议和怀疑。注册处认为申请人的行为旨在通过利用对手的声誉来获得利益,因此被判定为恶意申请。

基于《商标条例》62A款,注册处裁定异议人的异议理由成立,申请商标不予注册。

案例启示

1、注册人认为:两商标都由“Air”这个词和一个直接描述一种住宿形式的已知词组成。我们可以看出,AIRCAMP中CAMP有营地、露营等含义,但AIRBNB中BNB并不直接描述住宿的含义,究其细节,爱彼迎的英文是AirBed and Breakfast (“Air-b-n-b”)的缩写。如果在一个普通的商标案中,相信两商标不会因为这样的理由而判定近似商标。

2、本异议案能够胜诉,主要还是得益于Airbnb在全球范围内享有盛誉的知名度,注册处认为AIRCAMP这样的组词方式有恶意申请之嫌,说到底就是认为申请人抄袭了爱彼迎的创意,因此,对其申请商标真实意图提出了怀疑,本案中,申请人也没有否认知道Airbnb的存在。

3、澳大利亚的商标异议程序

澳大利亚属于英美法系国家,其异议程序和英国大体类似,主要程序有以下:

1)提出异议:异议人在商标公告期2个月或延长的公告期内提出异议申请并支付异议费用;

2)提交异议证据:异议人在提出异议申请后的1个月内提交详细的异议理由;

3)异议答辩:商标申请人在收到异议通知和异议详细理由后1个月内(或请求延长的期限内)提交意向抗辩书,如未在规定的时限内提出,则视为放弃商标申请;

4)质证环节:双方在规定的时限内提供各自证据,且异议人可对申请人的证据作出回应,提交书面陈述

5)聆讯(可选程序):任意一方可根据需求要求聆讯,若请求聆讯,双方均有机会在聆讯官前做出进一步陈述。聆讯结束后聆讯官做出异议裁定;

6)异议上诉:任意一方对异议裁定不服的,均可向联邦法院提起上诉。

本案中,被异议人全程走完了异议程序,但没有提出更多的证据反对异议人的观点,最终被裁定驳回。

笔者认为,在大陆法系的国家,如中国,在这种案件背景下,其结果还有待商榷。

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