Under Korean Design Protection Act, a design is defined as the shape, pattern, color or combination of these in an article that produces an aesthetic impression in the sense of sight. Accordingly, aesthetic factor must be incorporated into an article to be protected as a design. Besides an aesthetic element, the obstacle for design protection of computer generated icon is whether the icon can be an article. In general, an article means whatever is apprehended as having actual, distinct, and demonstrable existence. However, the icon does not have actual and distinct existence and then, is not an article. Despite that, many countries such as the U.S. and Japan protect an icon as design pursuant to design act. Korea also protects a computer-generated icon under design law. The U.S. protects the icon as design patent based on U.S. Manual of Patent Examining Procedure(MPEP) and common law rather than patent law itself. Likewise, Japan has protected the icon under examination guidelines for design, but recent amendment to design law includes a computer generated icon into protected article. However, Korea still protects a computer generated icon pursuant to the examination guidelines. In roy opinion, protection of the icon under the guidelines improperly expands the meaning of article under Design Protection Act and will destroy existence of design protection in itself. Therefore, if the protection of a computer generated icon is demanded under design law, proper amendment to Design Protection Act must be accomplished. Moreover, such amendment must be reviewed cautiously considering overall structure of intellectual property law.
목차
I. 서론 II. 화상디자인의 개념 1. 화상디자인의 의의 2. 화상디자인의 제작과정 및 특성 III. 한국의 화상디자인 보호 1 . 디자인 2. 신규성 3. 창작성 4. 공업상 이용가능성 IV. 각국의 화상디자인 보호 1. 미국 2. 유렵 3. 일본 V. 현행 보호방법의 적절성 VI. 결론 참고문헌 Abstract
본 학회는 지식재산 및 관련 제도(특허, 실용신안, 상표, 디자인, 영업비밀, 저작권, 반도체칩, 컴퓨터프로그램, 데이터베이스, 디지털콘텐츠 등)에 관한 국내외 이론과 실무에 대한 연구를 촉진하여 지식재산분야의 학문간 융합발전과 국제적 유대를 강화하고, 지식재산에 관한 지식을 보급하여 인적 네트워크 구축과 정책제언을 추진하며 이를 통해 국가발전에 이바지하는 것을 목적으로 한다.