近几年来，区块链（blockchain）是一个很红的网络技术，其相关的货币技术与各种应用，引起许多人关注，也有不少公司开始从事区块链的相关加密货币交易或服务。有趣的是，blockchain这个英文字，可否被某家公司注册为商标，并禁止其他公司使用blockchain这个英文字作为商标，否则构成侵权？2018年在美国起诉的Blockchain Luxembourg v. Paymium诉讼案，就是这样的有趣案件，而这则案件在2019年8月法院做出初步判决。
In recent years, the block chain (blockchain) has been a very popular web technology, with its associated monetary technology and applications of interest to many, and a number of companies have started to engage in related encrypted currency transactions or services in the block chain. Interestingly, the word Blockchai can be registered as a trademark by one company and ban others from using the word Blockchain as a trademark, otherwise constituting a violation? This is the interesting case of the Blockchain Luxembourg v. Paymium suit brought in the United States in 2018, in which the court handed down a preliminary judgement in August 2019.
2018年9月，原告Blockchain Luxembourg公司和美国Blockchain公司（以下合称Blockchain公司），控告Paymium公司及其创办人Pierre Noizat先生，主张Paymium公司使用blockchain.io为商标和网址，侵害了其BLOCKCHAIN的商标权，并有其他不实陈述等不公平竞争行为。
In September 2018, the plaintiff, Blockchain Luxembourg Co. and Blockchain United States Co. (hereinafter " Blockchain " ), sued Mr. Pierre Noizat, Paymium and its founder, claiming that Paymium used blackchain.io as a trademark and web site, violating its BLOCKCHAIN trademark rights and other unfair competitions, such as false statements.
图片来源：Pixabay
原告Blockchain公司及其商标BLOCKCHAIN
Blockchain公司主张其商标的范围，是从2012年起至今，长期使用的大写的BLOCKCHAIN商标，并将此商标用于贩卖各种自家的Blockchain产品和服务，包括可信赖的数字帐户以及其他金融服务，且BLOCKCHAIN商标，在美国与世界消费者之间已经普遍著名。 Blockchain asserts the scope of its trademark, which has long been in use, from 2012 to the present, of the long-standing BLOCKCHAIN trademark and which has been used to traffic a variety of its own Blockchain products and services, including trusted digital accounts and other financial services, and the BLOCKCHAIN trademark, which is widely known between the United States and world consumers. 从2013年起，原告Blockchain公司所使用的网站，网址为www.blockchain.com ，并以BLOCKCHAIN.COM作为商标，营销其网站与服务。若在使用Google搜索引擎以「blockchain」为关键词搜寻，所得到的第一笔搜寻结果，就是原告的www.blockchain.com网站。 Since 2013, the website used by the plaintiff, Blockchain, is www.blockchain.com, and its website and services are marketed using BLOCKCHAIN.COM as a trademark. 美国的商标采取使用主义，所以Blockchain公司主张，其有五个使用的文字商标，包括：（1）BLOCKCHAIN （从2011年开始使用）；（2） BLOCKCHAIN.INFO （从2011年开始使用）；（3） BLOCKCHAIN.COM（从2013年开始使用）；（4） BLOCKCHAIN MERCHANT （从2012开始使用）；（5） BLOCKCHAIN PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES（从2018年开始使用），Blockchain公司将这些商标使用于其数字钱包服务、行动应用程序服务、网站服务、和套装服务。 The trademarks of the United States are user-oriented, so Blockchain asserts that they have five trademarks in use, including: (1) BLOCKCHAIN (used since 2011); (2) BLOCKCHAIN.INFO (used since 2011); (3) BLOCKCHAIN.COM (used since 2013); (4) BLOCKCHAIN MERCHANT (used since 2012); and (5) BLOCKCHAIN PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES (used since 2018), which BLockchain uses these trademarks for its digital wallet services, action application services, website services, and package services. 另外，于2017年1月开始，原告Blockchain公司开始使用BLOCKCHAIN的设计商标（请见下图一），在美国的州际商务，对消费者从事营销、广告、散布、要约、提供其数字钱包服务（Digital Wallet Services）、网站服务、和行动App程序服务。 In addition, starting in January 2017, the plaintiff, Blockchain, began to use the BLOCKCHAIN design trademark (see figure I below) for interstate commerce in the United States in marketing, advertising, distribution, offer, provision of its digital wallet services (Digital Wallet Services), website services, and Action App program services to consumers. 图一、大写BLOCKCHAIN及设计图商标 数据源 虽然有上述各种使用的大写BLOCKCHAIN商标，原告Blockchain公司在美国主要注册的商标，是2018年7月注册的商标。其所注册的商标，并没有强调颜色必须是蓝色。请见下表： 表一、 Blockchain公司在美国注册的商标 数据源: Blockchain Luxembourg S.A. v. Paymium, SAS, 1:18-cv-08612 （S.D.N.Y. Aug. 7, 2019），起诉书 被告Paymium公司及使用的BLOCKCHAIN.IO商标 图二、Paymium 公司的BLOCKCHAIN.IO设计商标 数据源: Blockchain Luxembourg v. Paymium., Case 1:18-cv-08612（SDNY, 2018），起诉书 原告认为，这会让他人以为，其发行的数字货币首次公开发行，与Blockchain公司有关，且有相当多的消费者真的被混淆。故原告主张其行为构成商标侵害，以及误导陈述。 The plaintiff argued that this would give rise to the impression that the digital currency it issued was for the first time publicly available, that it related to Blockchai, and that a significant number of consumers were actually confused. The plaintiff therefore argued that its conduct constituted an infringement of the trademark and a misleading statement. 表二、原告和被告的商标比较 数据源: Blockchain Luxembourg v. Paymium., Case 1:18-cv-08612（SDNY, 2018），起诉书 此外原告控告，Paymium公司对外公开宣称，其数字货币首次公开发行已经在美国证券交易管理委员会「注册」，但这却是不实的，故构成欺骗消费者的不实陈述。 In addition, the plaintiff complained that Paymium publicly declared that its first public release of digital currency had been "registered" with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, but that this was not true, and therefore constituted a false statement to deceive consumers. 被告认为Blockchain是通用名称 the defendant considers Blockchain to be a common name 本案被告反击，并申请「驳回起诉」（motion to dismiss），亦即认为原告的主张在法律上根本无法成立，而不需要进一步召开陪审团。 The defendant responded and applied for a " motion to disprove " (motion to dismiss), which held that the plaintiff's claim was not legally valid and that there was no need for a further jury. 被告认为，blockchain是通用名称，任何人都可以使用。且原告的商标，除了有注册的BLOCKCHAIN及图形之外，其他的使用只是一种描述性使用，亦即描述其所贩卖的商品或服务与区块链有关，并不具识别性。 The defendant argued that Blockchain was a common name that anyone could use. And the plaintiff's trademark, apart from the registered BLOCKCHAIN and graphics, was used only as a descriptive use, i.e. to describe the goods or services it was trafficked in relation to the block chain and was not identifiable. 被告主张，原告Blockchain公司在2017年11月申请前述的BLOCKCHAIN设计商标时，美国专利商标局于2018年3月初步认定blockchain这个字只是描述性的字眼，要求必须对这个字声明不专用。十五天后，Blockchain公司同意对这个字声明不专用。最后美国专利商标局同意该BLOCKCHAIN设计商标的注册。被告Paymium公司认为，从这个过程中，原告自己都承认，Blockchain这个字只是描述性的字眼。 The defendant argued that in November 2017, when the plaintiff Blockchain applied for the aforementioned BLOCKCHAIN design trademark, in March 2018, the US Patent and Trademark Office made a preliminary finding that the word " blackchain " was a descriptive term and required that it not be used specifically. Fifteen days later, Blockchain agreed that the word " BLOCKCHAIN " should not be used specifically. Finally, the US Patent and Trademark Office agreed to the registration of the BLOCKCHAIN design trademark. The defendant, Paymium, argued that from this process, the plaintiff itself admitted that the word " Blockchaiin " was only a descriptive word. 但原告Blockchain认为，其商标在性质上并非描述性商标，就算blockchain这个字有区块链的一般意义，但原告拥有的商标都是以大写呈现，具有第二意义。除此之外，原告的BLOCKCHAIN商标，和被告的Blockchain.io商标，两者构成实质近似。 However, the plaintiff, Blockchain, argued that its trademark was not descriptive in nature, and that even if the word Blockchain had the general meaning of a block chain, the trademarks held by the plaintiff were in the upper case and were of secondary significance. In addition, the plaintiff's BLOCKCHAIN trademark, and the defendant's Blackchain.io trademarks, the substance of which was similar, were similar. 纽约南区法院初步判决 关于北美智权 about
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