根據前述第15條(1)規定,澳洲智財局認為,專利權人的權利必須來自於發明人;倘若非來自發明人,則發明人就是專利權人[7]。澳洲智財局認為,第15條(1)(c)之所謂從他人處獲得(derive title from),應該只限於繼受取得[8],Thaler博士所主張之「因占有和控制DABUS」而原始取得該發明,並不符合此處之「從發明人處獲得」。
Beach法官說明,假設一發明本身就有財產利益(proprietary rights),可以被占有和擁有。Thaler博士作為 DABUS 的所有者和控制者,當占有DABUS所為之發明時,就擁有該發明。在這種情況下,Thaler 博士是透過 DABUS獲得了該發明的權利[17]。
在此處,Beach法官有一個預設,人們可以透過占有無體財產而取得權利。Beach法官認為,Thaler博士因為占有DABUS、擁有DABUS原始碼之著作權、擁有且占有DABUS運作的電腦,因而可以從DABUS這個發明人處獲得其權利(derive title from inventor)[18]。
用另一個觀念來表述,前述澳洲智財局認為,所謂的從發明人處獲得(derive title from),必須是「繼受取得」;但Beach法官認為,「獲得」可以是「原始取得」,亦即,不需要發明人先取得權利,而可經由控制、占有AI之方式,原始取得其專利權利[19]。
Australia Patent Act 1990, section 15 (“ (1) Subject to this Act, a patent for an invention may only be granted to a person who:
(a) is the inventor; or
(b) would, on the grant of a patent for the invention, be entitled to have the patent assigned to the person; or
(c) derives title to the invention from the inventor or a person mentioned in paragraph (b); or......”).
Stephen L. Thaler [2021] APO 5, para 9 (9 February 2021).
Id. paras 11-12.
Id. para 20.
Id. para 30.
Australia Patents Regulations 1991, regulation 3.2C (“ (1) This regulation applies to a PCT application if the applicant complied with the requirements of subsection 29A(5) of the Act.
(2) The applicant must:......(aa) provide the name of the inventor of the invention to which the application relates.......“).
Mark Summerfield, AI Inventor’ Update – DABUS Decision Goes to Federal Court, Patentology, 30 March 2021, https://blog.patentology.com.au/2021/03/ai-inventor-update-dabus-decision-goes.html.
Thaler v Commissioner of Patents [2021] FCA 879, para 160 (30 July 2021).