Neizkrivljena konkurenca na račun omejitve izvrševanja pravic intelektualne lastnine – pregled sodne prakse Sodišča EU

Abstract

Prispevek obravnava pristop Sodišča EU k omejevanju pravic intelektualne lastnine, kadar njihovo izvrševanje predstavlja zlorabo prevladujočega položaja, ki je prepovedana po členu 102 Pogodbe o delovanju Evropske unije. Imetništvo pravice intelektualne lastnine samo po sebi sicer ne pomeni prevladujočega položaja, nedvomno pa povečuje možnosti zanj, saj so te pravice ekskluzivne in tako poleg ekonomske prednosti dajejo imetniku možnost, da druga podjetja na trgu izključi od izvrševanja te pravice oz. jim celo oteži ali prepreči vstop na trg. Skozi sodno prakso bomo predstavili, kako Sodišče EU vedno bolj posega v izvrševanje pravic intelektualne lastnine, da bi preprečilo imetniku prevladujočega položaja izkrivljati konkurenco, ter razložili, zakaj lahko takšen pristop podjetja na trgu odvrne od vlaganja v razvoj in inovacije ter na dolgi rok zavira konkurenco.

This paper addresses the approach of the Court of Justice of the European Union ('CJEU') to limiting intellectual property rights when the exercise of such rights constitutes a breach of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits abuse of a dominant position. While holding the intellectual property right ('IP right') in itself does not per se amount to holding a dominant position, the existence of the latter is undoubtedly enforced by the exclusive nature of the former, since the exclusivity provides the holder of such right not only with the economic advantage towards other undertakings on the market, but also with the possibility to constitute entry barriers for undertakings trying to enter the market. Through the review of the case law of the CJEU, this paper presents how the Court is continuously restricting the exercise of the IP rights with the aim of terminating, or even preventing, the dominant undertaking's abuse of its position and, accordingly, distortion of competition. Based on the findings, it is attempted to explain why such approach can deter subjects on the market from further research and development and moreover, reduce competition in the long-term aspect.