原告指控被告在其網站、臉書、Twitter上,推銷其近似原告AMS Neve「1073」商標的模仿產品。雖然被告的網站設於西班牙,臉書和Twitter帳號也是在西班牙註冊,但內容卻以英文推銷侵害其商標權的產品。原告指稱,在被告網站上的「哪裡購買」的選單中,可以看到各個國家的經銷者,包括英國的經銷者。且也有證據可以證明,該侵權產品確實有銷往歐盟各國,包括英國。故原告認為被告之行為,構成了對英國消費者「提供銷售」(offers for sale)該侵權產品的行為[5]。
根據歐盟207/2009年共同體商標規則(Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 on the Community trade mark)第97條(1)規定:「1.除本條例和第94條所指的《管轄和執行公約》另有規定者外,第96條所指的訴訟和請求應向被告居住所在會員國提起,或者,被告在任何會員國均無住所的,應向被告設有企業的成員國法院起訴。[12]」
在2011年歐洲法院的L’Oréal and Others v. eBay案[17]中,被告eBay曾經主張,構成仿冒的商品目前並不在歐盟境內,只是所架設的eBay網站鎖定的對象是歐盟會員國的消費者,這樣單純在網站上以電子方式展示商品提供銷售,並不會構成在歐盟境內的商標侵權。
當時L’Oréal and Others v. eBay案涉及的條文,主要在解釋現在的歐盟共同體商標規則第9條(2)(b)的提供銷售和(2)(d)的廣告行為。歐洲法院判決認為,不論網站架設在哪一個國家,或者目前仿冒品位於哪一國家,只要在網站上提供銷售或廣告鎖定的對象,是歐盟會員國內的消費者,就可以構成該會員國內的侵權[18]。
歐洲法院認為,在解釋共同體商標規則第97條(5)的侵權行為發生地,應該要做體系解釋,可參考同規則第9條(2)(b)的提供銷售和(2)(d)的廣告行為的認定。前述L’Oréal and Others v. eBay案是在解釋歐盟共同體商標規則第9條(2)(b)和(2)(d),認為不論網站架設於何處,只要提供銷售和廣告鎖定的消費者位於歐盟境內,就構成該條的使用行為;則本案中涉及的第97條(5)的侵權地的概念,應該做一樣解釋,則也應該認為鎖定消費者所在地,也是侵權行為發生地[22]。
C-172/18 - AMS Neve and Others, ECLI:EU:C:2019:674, para 14(2019).
Id. para 15.
Id. para 16-17.
Id. para 18.
Id. paras 19-21.
Id. paras 22-23.
Id. paras 24-26.
Id. para 27.
Id. para 28.
Id. para 29-30.
Id. para 32.
Council Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 of 26 February 2009 on the Community trade mark, Article 97(1) (“1. Subject to the provisions of this Regulation as well as to any provisions of Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 applicable by virtue of Article 94, proceedings in respect of the actions and claims referred to in Article 96 shall be brought in the courts of the Member State in which the defendant is domiciled or, if he is not domiciled in any of the Member States, in which he has an establishment.”).
Council Regulation (EC) No 207/2009, Article 97(1) (“5. Proceedings in respect of the actions and claims referred to in Article 96, with the exception of actions for a declaration of non-infringement of a Community trade mark, may also be brought in the courts of the Member State in which the act of infringement has been committed or threatened, or in which an act within the meaning of Article 9(3), second sentence, has been committed.”).
Council Regulation (EC) No 207/2009, Article 98 (“1. A Community trade mark court whose jurisdiction is based on Article 97(1) to (4) shall have jurisdiction in respect of:(a)acts of infringement committed or threatened within the territory of any of the Member States;(b)acts within the meaning of Article 9(3), second sentence, committed within the territory of any of the Member States.2. A Community trade mark court whose jurisdiction is based on Article 97(5) shall have jurisdiction only in respect of acts committed or threatened within the territory of the Member State in which that court is situated.”).
C-172/18 - AMS Neve and Others, para 40.
Case C‑360/12, Coty Germany, EU:C:2014:1318.
C-324/09 - L'Oréal and Others v. eBay, ECLI:EU:C:2011:474.