Fischertechnik prevails in copyright case though established models fail work test
德国一公司在华赢得知识产权纠纷案
2019年10月16日 中国知识产权报 第12版：双语
Shanghai IP Court recently made a final ruling on a copyright infringement and unfair competition case between the Germany-based Fischertechnik GmbH Company and Shanghai Dongfang Training Aid Company/Shanghai Yaxun Intelligent Robot Company, ordering the two defendants to cease infringing copyright of Fischertechnik's figure works and 30 model works. In parallel, the Court also awarded 500,000 yuan in damages, the maximum amount of statutory damages under the Chinese Copyright Law.
The Fischertechnik Model which contains various kinds of components was launched to the market in January 2004 by Fischertechnik GmbH, one of the members of Fischer Group. Fischertechnik GmbH held that the established 30 drawings of static models and 102 components and assemble steps in installation manual can be deemed as sketches protected by the Chinese Copyright Law, while the established 30 static models can be deemed as three-dimensional works.
Fischertechnik GmbH found that the creative model-a combination of structural and mechanical principle produced by the two defendants was an utter imitation of Fischertechnik GmbH's model, violating its authorship right, reproduction right and publication right. Fischertechnik then sought an injunction and damages of one million yuan.
The two defendants argued that drawings of the static models, components and assembly steps of Fischertechnik's model was limited in expression, which can not be protected by the law. The 30 established static models were just intermediate processes, but not three-dimensional works. So no infringement was constituted.
The Court of first-instance held that the drawings of the static models, components and assemble steps can be deemed as figure work, while the static model can not be regarded as work. Consequently the Court ordered an injunction and 160,000 yuan in damages.
The disgruntled Fischertechnik GmbH then brought the case to Shanghai IP Court.
"There are two controversies in the case. The first is whether the established static model deemed as model work. The second is whether the products in question distributed by the two defendants infringed the copyright of 30 model works," said the presiding judge Shang Jiangang. The Court of first instance held that it can not be deemed as work because the three-dimensional model has not come into shape. In this case, the three-dimensional shape can be deemed as model work, but not art work or three-dimensional work. Although the two defendants did not copy the model works directly, they used the copyright in producing and distribution of products in question. In this regard, they violate the copyright of the right holder. In this connection, the IP Court made the above final decision.
(by Sun Fanghua/Chen Yingying)
本报记者 孙芳华
通 讯 员 陈颖颖
近日，上海知识产权法院对费希尔技术有限公司（下称费希尔技术公司）起诉上海东方教具有限公司（下称东方教具公司）、上海雅讯智能机器人科技有限公司（下称雅讯科技公司）侵犯著作权及不正当竞争纠纷上诉案作出终审判决，在一审法院判令二被告立即停止侵犯费希尔技术公司享有的涉案图形作品著作权的基础上，还判令二被告应立即停止侵犯涉案30种模型作品著作权。此外，二审法院还提高了赔偿金额，按著作权法法定赔偿的上限，顶格判决二被告共同赔偿原告经济损失等50万余元。
费希尔技术公司系德国慧鱼集团旗下成员之一，于2004年1月推出了慧鱼创意组合模型（下称权利商品），该权利商品内含多种拼装组件。费希尔技术公司认为，内附的安装说明书中载有已搭建完成的30种静态模型展示图样以及102幅拼装组件展示图及组件拼装步骤图，构成著作权法规定的示意图，而搭建完成的30种静态立体造型构成立体作品。
费希尔技术公司发现，东方教具公司与雅讯科技公司共同生产并对外销售“创意组合模型—结构与机械原理组合”（下称涉案商品），涉案商品完全模仿并抄袭了权利商品，涉嫌侵犯了费希尔技术公司享有的署名权、复制权及发行权等。于是，费希尔技术公司将两家公司共同起诉至法院，并索赔100万元。
二被告共同辩称，权利商品静态模型展示图样、拼装组件展示图例和组件拼装步骤图示，其表达形式非常有限，不应受著作权法保护。费希尔技术公司所主张权利的30种搭建完成的静态模型仅仅是一个中间过程，并非立体作品，无法获得著作权法的保护，故不构成侵权。
一审法院审理后认为，涉案静态模型展示图、拼装组件展示图及组件拼装步骤图示构成图形作品，而静态模型不构成作品，据此判决二被告立即停止相关侵权行为，并共同赔偿费希尔技术公司经济损失等共计16万元。
一审判决后，费希尔技术公司不服，向上海知识产权法院提起上诉。
“该案有两大争议焦点：一是搭建完成状态下的立体静态模型是否属于模型作品；二是两被上诉人对外提供涉案商品是否侵犯涉案30种模型作品的著作权。”该案主审法官商建刚对本报记者表示，首先，一审法院认为，立体造型没有搭建完成，因此尚未构成作品。其次，该案认定立体造型构成模型作品，而非美术作品或立体作品。最后，被控侵权人虽然自己没有直接复制模型作品，但是其在商业性制造、销售被控商品的过程中行使了著作权人对模型作品的复制权，因此，二被告侵犯了著作权人对模型作品的复制权。综上，二审法院对一审判决部分内容进行了改判。