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(영문) 대전지법 논산지원 2003. 7. 4.자 2002카합165 결정

[모조품판매금지가처분] 항고[각공2003.9.10.(1),23]

Main Issues

[1] Requirements for the type of goods to constitute "a mark indicating another person's goods" under Article 2 subparagraph 1 (a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act

[2] The case holding that discriminatory features of the applicant's different form or quality do not constitute "a mark indicating others' goods" under Article 2 subparagraph 1 (a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act

Summary of Decision

[1] The form of a product is allowed to be copied and produced in principle unless it is protected by a design right or patent right, etc. However, it is exceptionally permitted to be protected under the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act only where the discriminatory feature of a product by continuous, exclusive or continuous use for a long time, or continuous publicity advertisement is considerably individual to the extent that it is the product of a certain source with a specific quality for customers or users, as it constitutes "a mark indicating another person's product" under Article 2 subparagraph 1 (a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act.

[2] The case holding that it does not constitute "a mark indicating another person's goods" as stipulated in Article 2 subparagraph 1 (a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act on the grounds that it is not recognized that the differentiated feature of the fat pattern and metal quality of another day imported and sold domestically by the applicant was significantly individualized to the trader or user as goods of a specific source with a specific quality

[Reference Provisions]

[1] Article 2 subparagraph 1 (a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act / [2] Article 2 subparagraph 1 (a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act

Reference Cases

[1] Supreme Court Order 96Ma365 dated Nov. 27, 1996 (Gong1997Sang, 72) Supreme Court Order 96Ma675 dated Apr. 24, 1997 (Gong1997Sang, 1551)

Applicant

Man Construction Materials Co., Ltd. (Law Firm Dan Law, Attorney Park Jong-chul, Counsel for defendant-appellant)

Respondent

[Defendant-Appellant] KTmix Co., Ltd. (Law Firm Global, Attorneys Choi Jae-re et al., Counsel for defendant-appellant-appellant)

Text

1. The petitioner's application of this case is dismissed.

2. The cost of the application shall be borne by the applicant.

The respondent shall not manufacture and sell the products listed in the attached Table 2, similar to the products listed in the attached Table 1. The respondent shall not manufacture and sell the products listed in the attached Table 2. The respondent shall hold possession of the existing completed products and semi-finished products listed in the attached Table 2. and shall order the enforcement officer delegated by the applicant to keep them.

Reasons

1. Summary of the applicant's assertion

A. An applicant who engages in wholesale and retail business of construction materials: (a) entered into a domestic agency contract with Spanish Manufacturing Business Co., Ltd. (TAUAUC) with the Spanisher Co., Ltd.; and (b) from June 200, the applicant began to import and sell the top-class bricks in the attached Table 1, which are the high-class bricks created by Spanisher Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “the applicant date”).

B. The filing date of an applicant who sells the applicant is a very unique form with metal quality in the mother and child pattern, and is easily distinguishable from the ordinary days sold in the city. In addition, the applicant has continuously published an advertisement in a man-made magazine, etc. in which the sum of 50,000,000 won or more is charged with the promotion of the sales of other days, and has produced and distributed various car-sloping and advertising leaflets in order to promote the sales of other days. As a result, the filing date became widely known products to the extent that anyone can know that the applicant is an imported product if he/she is engaged in another business.

C. From September 2002, the respondent started to produce and sell the date of the entry in the attached list 2.3 (hereinafter “the date of the respondent”) from around September 2002, and the date of the respondent is not only the mother and child pattern of the applicant, but also the most unique characteristics of the metal quality.

D. As such, the Respondent's production and sale of the maternity work which imitates the Respondent's third party's third party's third party's third party's third party's third party's third party's third party's trademark is an act that causes confusion with the applicant's third party's third party's third party's third party's third party's trademark, which is widely known in Korea, and constitutes an unfair competition act under Article 2 subparagraph 1 (a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act (hereinafter "Unfair Competition Prevention Act"). Thus, in order to prevent the occurrence and expansion of the applicant's damages, a provisional disposition

2. Determination

However, as long as the form of a product is not protected by a design right or patent right, it is allowed to imitate and produce it in principle. However, only when the form of a product is clearly differentiated to the extent that it is a product of a specific quality among traders or users by continuous, exclusive use or continuous advertising advertisement for a long time, it constitutes "a mark indicating other person's product" under Article 2 subparagraph 1 (a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and is protected under the same Act (see, e.g., Supreme Court Decisions 96Ma365, Nov. 27, 1996; 96Ma675, Apr. 24, 1997).

돌이켜 이 사건을 보건대, 이 사건 기록에 의하여 인정되는 바와 같이, 신청인 타일의 모자이크 문양은 일반적으로 타일에 많이 쓰이는 흔한 문양인 점, 신청인도 신청인 제품과 동일하지는 않지만 금속성 질감을 가진 타일들이 생산되어 현재 시중에서 판매되고 있음을 자인하고 있는 점(특히 현재 시중에 유통되고 있는 아랍에미리트 공화국의 R.A.K. 세라믹스사 생산의 타일의 경우, 신청인 타일과 문양 및 질감에 있어 거의 동일하다.), 신청인 타일이 2002. 12. 말경까지 시중에 출고되기는 하였으나 그 물량은 많지 않았던 것으로 보이는 점{신청인도 2002. 12월 말 이후에는 신청인 타일의 매출실적이 전혀 없음을 자인하고 있고, 한편 신청인 타일의 창고 입·출고 현황을 기록한 소 갑 제13호증의 1의 기재에 의하면, 2001. 6. 26.부터 2002. 12. 28.까지 사이에 신청인 타일이 지속적으로 출고된 것으로는 보이지만, 그 출고물량은 합계 2,767박스(신청인 주장의 1박스당 평균 판매가격은 금35,000원으로서 출고물량가액은 합계 금 96,845,000원 상당임.) 정도에 불과하여 출고기간에 비추어 그리 많은 수량은 아니었던 것으로 보인다.} 등의 사정에 비추어 보면, 소 갑 제1호증의 1, 2, 소 갑 제4, 5, 6호증, 소 갑 제7호증의 1 내지 6, 소 갑 제9호증의 1 내지 20, 소 갑 제10호증, 소 갑 제12호증의 1 내지 61, 소 갑 제13호증의 1, 소 갑 제14호증의 1 내지 23, 소 갑 제15호증의 1, 소 갑 제17 내지 149호증의 각 1, 2, 소 갑 제150 내지 173호증의 각 1, 2, 소 갑 제174호증, 소 갑 제175호증의 1, 2, 소 갑 제176호증의 1 내지 9, 소 갑 제177호증의 1 내지 3, 소 갑 제180호증의 1, 2, 소 갑 제181호증의 1 내지 4, 소 갑 제182호증의 1 내지 3, 소 갑 제189 내지 191호증의 각 1, 2, 소 갑 제192 내지 194호증의 각 1 내지 3, 소 갑 제195 내지 199호증, 소 갑 제213호증의 1, 소 갑 제214호증의 1 내지 3, 소 갑 제220호증의 1 내지 9의 각 기재 및 영상만으로는 신청인 타일의 형태나 질감이 갖는 차별적 특징이 "거래자 또는 수요자에게 특정한 품질을 가지는 특정 출처의 상품임을 연상시킬 정도로 현저하게 개별화되었다."고 인정하기 부족하고 달리 이를 인정할 자료가 없으므로, 결국 신청인 타일의 형태 및 질감이 부정경쟁방지법 제2조 제1호 (가)목 소정의 보호대상인 '타인의 상품임을 표시한 표지'에 해당함을 전제로 하는 신청인의 이 사건 신청원인에 관한 주장은 이유 없다 할 것이다.

3. Conclusion

Therefore, the petitioner's application of this case is dismissed as it is without merit, and it is so decided as per Disposition.

Judges Lee Ho-hun (Presiding Judge)