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米国におけるSEPに関する意見募集終了 Public Comments to USPTO, ITA and NIST to SEP(Closed)

今年９月11日より始まったITA(International Trade Administration), NIST(International Trade Administration), USPTO(United States Patent and Trademark Office)によるSEPに関する意見募集https://www.regulations.gov/document/PTO-C-2023-0034-0001

は途中で締切日が延長されたが、11月6日に締め切られ51通の応募があった。


コメントが求められたポイントは12点あり、FRANDライセンスを巡る係争の現状確認と、米国におけるイノベーション創出と競争力強化のために商務省の果たすべき施策などを尋ねる形式となっている。寄せられた意見書は51通あり、全文公開されている。寄稿した企業はSisvel, Dolby, Lenovo, Apple, InterDigital, Continental, Cisco, Nokia, Dell, Ericsson, HP, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Amazon（提出順）ほかに諸機関、個人が提出したものも公開されている。


III. Questions for Public Comment（12の質問ポイント）

  1. （外国知財施策により米国の国際標準化活動に対する悪影響は存在するか）Do the intellectual property rights policies of foreign jurisdictions threaten any of U.S. leadership in international standard setting, U.S. participation in international standard setting, and/or the growth of U.S. SMEs that rely on the ability to readily license standard essential patents?

  2. （不利な外交施策） If responding affirmatively to question 1, what can the Department of Commerce do to mitigate the effects of any adverse foreign policies relating to intellectual property rights and standards? Please clearly identify any such adverse foreign policies with specificity.

  3. (SDO, 業界団体などがSMEにできること）What more can other entities do, such as standards development organizations, industry or consumer associations, academia, or U.S. businesses to help improve American leadership, participation in international standard setting, and/or increased participation of small to medium-sized enterprises that rely on the ability to readily license standard essential patents?

  4. （現在のFRANDライセンスは機能しているか）Are current fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing practices adequate to sustain U.S. innovation and global competitiveness? Are there other international models which would better serve U.S. innovation in the future?

  5. （標準化活動に弊害となっている米国施策は存在するか）Are there specific U.S. intellectual property laws or policies that inhibit participation in standards development?

  6. （SMEの成長の阻害となる米国施策は存在するか）Are there specific U.S. intellectual property laws or policies that inhibit growth of SMEs that rely on licensing and implementing standards?

  7. （知財と標準の関係について商務省がさらに調査すべきことはあるか）Which, if any, actions would be advisable for the Department of Commerce to further explore regarding the interplay of intellectual property and standards, including but not limited to:a.educational guidance to SMEs to become more involved in standards;b. recommendations for standards development organizations regarding intellectual property policies and enforcement thereof;c. a database of judicially determined or otherwise voluntarily-made-public licensing rates for technologies covered by a FRAND commitment; andd. other voluntary and/or public disclosures?

  8. （国際標準化活動を米国で盛んにするインセンティブはあるか）How can the Department of Commerce reinforce the importance of IP-based incentives for participation in international technology standards development, especially around critical and emerging technologies?

  9. （FRANDライセンス係争の緩和に商務省は何ができるか）What can the Department of Commerce do to mitigate emergence or facilitate the resolution of FRAND licensing disputes? Can requiring further transparency concerning patent ownership make standard essential patent (SEP) licensing more efficient? What are other impediments to reaching a FRAND license that the Department of Commerce could address through policy or regulation?

  10. （重要分野での標準化で米国がリーダーシップを取るために商務省がとることができる施策は）Are there steps that the Department of Commerce can take regarding intellectual property rights policy that will help advance U.S. leadership in standards development and implementation for critical and emerging technologies?

  11. （FRAND交渉において当事者の共同行為のリスクは）Do policy solutions that would require SEP holders to agree collectively on rates or have parties rely on joint negotiation to reach FRAND license agreements with SEP holders create legal risks? Are there other concerns with these solutions?

  12. （FRANDライセンス係争の緩和のために商務省はWIPOやSDOと共同してなにができるか）What can the Department of Commerce do to help facilitate the efficient resolution of FRAND disputes? What can the Department of Commerce do with the World Intellectual Property Organization and/or standard setting bodies to promote alternative dispute resolution to more efficiently resolve FRAND disputes?


なお、上記の意見募集と合わせて９月20日には公聴会Public listening sessionが４時間開かれた。その様子について出席したFinnegan法律事務所のDavid C. Reese弁護士らがブログ記事を書いているので合わせて紹介する。


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