聲音商標之研究

Abstract

聲音商標為非傳統商標之一種，是以聲響或音樂做為識別商品或服務來源的標識，可區分為音樂性及非音樂性聲音商標。我國自民國92年承認聲音商標至今，聲音商標之申請在件數上一直不如其他非傳統商標，一則聲音商標識別性之認定不易，實務上對於聲音之註冊多持保守態度，以致能順利取得商標註冊者屈指可數；再則文字、圖案等視覺性標識目前仍為我國業者關注之焦點，在行銷產品時多將聲音視為裝飾或營造氣氛的背景音效。然而進入求新求變、快速變動的資訊時代，業者若想在當前以視覺性標識為主的眾多品牌中脫穎而出，更有效地吸引住消費者的目光，另闢新的傳播方式乃屬必要之途。是以本文將以國際條約及比較法對聲音商標之保護做一觀察與分析。 觀諸聲音商標之承認雖已成為國際趨勢，然對於註冊程序、識別性以及混淆誤認之判斷標準，是否因聲音之特殊性而採取和傳統商標不同的認定標準，非無探討空間。就註冊程序而言，除需具備非功能性及非通用性外，聲音因其非視覺可感知之特性，應何以客觀明確之方式呈現為妥?如歐盟所採之圖文表示法於Shield Mark一案承認聲音商標以來，導致非音樂性聲音無法獲准註冊；而美國的描述性表示法為緩和圖文表示之嚴格性，則完全仰賴Mp3以聽覺做判斷，難免流於主觀解釋；我國的混和表示法則綜合上述兩種表達方式，顯見各國對聲音商標認定之方向和標準不一，從而致生如何健全並真正落實聲音商標保護之疑慮。 聲音通常是附著於廣告畫面時出現，因此聲音有無本質上識別性，見解分歧，我國實務的審查基準雖採肯定見解，然實務上獲准註冊之聲音商標於取得第二意義後才獲准註冊。是以本文一開始即說明聲音商標之意義、功能、保護及因應措施；並蒐集整理美國法上相關案例與文獻，進一步探討聲音的表現形態是否會影響消費者對品牌的認識以及購買意願；接著再論述聲音商標運用時可能產生之各種混淆誤認態樣；後段則分別討論聲音商標與著作權法中的音樂、語文及錄音著作之競合與衝突，進行聲音與公平交易法互動關係之分析，以期能對聲音商標之保護有更完整之認識。最後將歸納出本文之研究心得與建議，以供未來實務運作或審定時參酌。

Sound mark is the strategic use of sound to create an authentic auditory identity for the brand. It’s one of the unconventional marks, and can be categorized under musical and nonmusical sound marks. The role of audio branding in Taiwan compared with other unconventional marks has been greatly undervalued since the recognition of sound as a trademark in 2003. This is due to the fact that the distinctiveness of sound is hard to value and that for decades visual identity, whether in the form of a logo or a color scheme, has been the focus of both brand owners and their agencies, while sound has been viewed primarily as decorative or background music. As we enter an era of fast information and constant sensory evolution, however; it’s necessary to find a new way of building a consistent approach to brand communication if the industry wants to stand out from its competitors and attract consumers’ attention. Therefore, this paper examines the protection for sound mark under international treaties and law enforcement by examining selected case studies drawn from different countries. Despite the fact that sound has been recognized as a trademark by many countries, questions have arisen about whether its criteria for the registration, distinctiveness and test for dilution be somewhat different from those applied to the average trademark. When it comes to the application of sound, the issue of functionality and the question of whether sounds can be represented in an objective and precise way is the main concern since sound mark is not visually perceptible. Sound marks have been protected in Europe since the Shield Mark case which established a strict graphical requirement, thereby causing nonmusical sounds unable to be represented graphically and would never get registration under the Europe system. On the other hand, the United States adopted a system that is fully based on Mp3 records of the mark so as to alleviate the strictness of graphical representation in EU system, but the aural interpretation of sound arguably differs according to the listener. Taiwan uses a mixture of the two systems. The fact that the register standard of sound varies from country to country raises concerns over how to soundly and genuinely implement the protection of sound marks. Moreover, sounds are usually accompanied with commercial images which give rise to different theories on whether sound is inherently distinct, since most sounds in Taiwan are required to achieve secondary meaning to demonstrate their distinctiveness. The paper goes on to analyze the style of the sound performed and whether or not it may have an impact on consumers’ recognition towards the brand. It then gives an overview of the trademark dilution theories applied to sound marks. The final section of the paper addresses the interaction between trademark law and copyright law (including musical, literal and audio recording copyright) in sound marks, in order to provide more comprehensive information on the protection of sound marks. Finally, this dissertation will conclude with research findings and suggestions to serve as references for practical uses and evaluation of trade marks in the future.