以吻相连（著作权法、ME、标识）

以吻相连（著作权法、ME、标识）1：作品

李东涛

 

吻是一门艺术

这是一个关于“吻”的案子。

原告是一家山川设计公司。

被告是现代电子市场。

两个英文字母，M和E, 被“吻”在了一起。

“ME”是原告为被告设计的企业标识， M取自“现代（modern）”, E取自“电子(electronic)”。

“M"或“E"单个英文字母或两个字母的简单并列组合,再以某种有形载体固定下来, 这一过程是不具备独创性的,因为任何会书写英文字母的人都可以完成。LDT

但是,在本案中，在不违背字母本身的造型规律的前提下,原告将被告名称（现代电子）中的两个英文字母在二维空间部分重叠布局,并加以变形和修饰，使字母的书写带上了强烈的艺术色彩.

简而言之， M亲吻E是个艺术，是个作品。

 

Sealed with a kiss (copyright law/M/E/logo)I：Work

 

Li Dongtao

 

Kissing is an art…¹

This is a case about “KISS”.

The plaintiff is Shan Chuan design company.

The defendant is the Modern Electronic Market.

Two English letters，M and E，is “sealed” together.

“ME” is a commercial logo designed by the plaintiff for the defendant: M from “modern”, E from “electronic”.

Fixing a letter M or E or the two letters lined-up in a perceptible form is not original, for anyone learning English is able to do so.

But in this case, the two letters were overlapped in a two-dimensional pattern and then reshaped and decorated the design, without destroying the normal writing style. LDT

As a result, an aesthetic effect was created.

In short,“M kissing E”is an art, a work.

 

以吻相连（著作权法、ME、标识）2：侵权

 

李东涛

 

    无所施，无所得。²

1996年，被告与原告口头约定由原告为其加工企业铜牌。铜牌内容包括被告名称、营业时间和企业标志等。其中，企业标志由原告负责设计,双方同时亦对加工费用、交付时间等作出约定。

 

订约后,原告依约为被告设计了企业标志“ME",此方案为被告所接受。LDT但当原告将该标志用于企业铜牌并向被告交付铜牌时,被告以该铜牌不符合要求为由拒收并拒付报酬。此后,被告委托他人加工制作了新的企业铜牌和路牌广告,并将“ME"标志用于其中,但未向原告付酬。

原告以被告侵犯其“ME"标志著作权为由起诉被告。

被告承认委托原告为其加工企业铜牌,但否认侵权。

法院判决被告侵权成立，因为作品的著作权是不随作品载体一同转移的。

简而言之，被告没有向原告付出，就一无所有。

 

Sealed with a kiss（copyright law/ME/logo）II：Infringement

 

Li Dongtao

 

Those who dare give nothing

Are left with less than nothing.

In 1996, the two parties agreed orally that the plaintiff would make a copper plaque and design a logo for the defendant. The plaque was to include the plaintiff’s business name, business hours, and the logo, etc. They also concluded the clauses about time of delivery and payment.

Then the plaintiff designed the “ME” logo and got the defendant’s approval.

However, after the plaintiff put the “ME” logo onto the copper plaque and delivered it to the defendant, the latter refused to accept or pay for it on the grounds that it did not meet the requirements of the oral agreement. LDT

Without informing the plaintiff, the defendant later commissioned another party to make another copper plaque as well as a billboard, both of which used the “ME” logo originally designed by the plaintiff.

The plaintiff sued the defendant for copyright infringement.

The defendant admitted to having commissioned the plaintiff to make a copper plaque but argued there was not copyright infringement.

The court held that the copyright infringement was established because the copyright was not transferred with ownership of the original.

In short, gave nothing to the plaintiff, the defendant got nothing.

 

以吻相连（著作权法、ME、标识）3: 合同

 

李东涛

 

    我把冰块放到火上，冰块融化了火也熄灭了，任何一步我都失去了灵魂。³

本案原告与被告设定关于加工企业铜牌的口头合同是有效的。

这个合同里存在两个的法律关系：

加工铜牌（合同法中的加工承揽）和设计标识（著作权法中的委托创作）。

由于没有明确的合同条款约束，根据1990年著作权法第17条的规定⁴，原告作为受托人享有著作权。LDT

未经原告许可，被告不得使用“ME"标识。

由于被告拒收铜牌并拒付报酬，这一行为不仅单方面终止了与原告的口头协议，也放弃了使用“ME"标识的权利。

 

Sealed with a kiss（copyright law/ME/logo）III：Contract

 

Li Dongtao

 

Keywords: copyright law agreement logo

 

I place an ice cube on fire，

It melted and it extinguished the fire and either way I lose my soul.

The oral agreement made by the parties is valid.

There are two legal relationships in this agreement：

To make a copper plaque (product processing in contract law) and to design a logo (commissioned work in copyright law).

Because of the absence of an express agreement, according to the Art.17 of Copyright Law of 1990⁵, being the commissioned party, the plaintiff was entitled to the copyright.

Without the plaintiff’s permission, the defendant couldn’t use the logo.LDT

However, the defendant refused to accept or pay for the copper plaque made by the plaintiff. This act not only led to the termination of the former agreement but also cost the defendant the right to use the “ME” logo.