WIPO China: Upcycling, Sustainability, and IP - What It Means for the World of Fashion
本文原载于2023年第3期《WIPO杂志》。作者为伊雷妮·卡尔博利，美国德克萨斯A&M大学法学院法学教授。
The article was originally published in the issue 3/2023 of WIPO Magazine. The author is Irene Calboli, Professor of Law, Texas A&M University School of Law, USA.
时尚业制造全球温室气体排放量的近10%。面对日益增长的可持续性需求认知，“消费”时尚的新方法正在出现，包括升级再造，这是最受欢迎的选择之一。（图：Aziz Shamuratov / iStock / Getty Images Plus）
The fashion industry is responsible for producing nearly 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In response to growing awareness of the need for sustainability, new ways to “consume” fashion are emerging, including upcycling, one of the most popular alternatives. (Photo: Aziz Shamuratov /iStock / Getty Images Plus)
毫无疑问，我们生活在一个生产过剩和消费过剩的时代。然而，与过去不同的是，今天消费者的环保意识更强，越来越关注可持续性的需求。对于制造全球温室气体排放量近10%的时尚业来说尤其如此。作为回应，“消费”时尚的新方式出现了，它们提供了单纯购买新衣服和配饰的替代方案。最受欢迎的替代方案之一是升级再造。
Unquestionably, we live in an age of over-production and over-consumption. However, today - unlike the past - consumers are more environmentally conscious and increasingly focused on the need for sustainability. This is particularly true for fashion, an industry that is responsible for producing nearly 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In response, new ways to “consume” fashion have emerged, offering alternatives to simply purchasing new clothes and accessories. One of the most popular alternatives is upcycling.
什么是升级再造？
What is upcycling?
升级再造是指以使其吸引消费者的方式改进现有产品的过程。与此同时，升级再造使现有产品的使用寿命得到延长，促进了可持续性和循环经济。
Upcycling refers to the process of improving an existing product by modifying it in a way that makes it appealing to consumers. In turn, by extending the life of existing products, upcycling promotes both sustainability and a circular economy.
有趣的是，尽管升级再造已经存在多年，但时尚行业最近出现了升级再造时尚产品的大热潮，尤其是在COVID-19大流行期间。当被迫呆在家里时，许多有创造力的人通过把他们拥有的旧时尚物品变成新的东西后转售来让自己忙碌起来。
Interestingly, although upcycling has existed for many years, the fashion industry has recently seen a major boom in upcycled fashion products, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forced to stay at home, many creative individuals kept themselves busy by taking the old fashion items they owned and turning them into something new to resell.
一般来说，升级再造可以采取两种形式。第一种是拆解原始产品，利用原始产品的组成部分创造新产品。如下所述，这种升级再造技术经常使用带有著名徽标的产品的部件来创造新配饰。例如用旧奢侈衣服的纽扣或设计师包袋的碎片制成的耳环或吊坠。第二种升级再造技术通过添加新东西将原始产品转化为新产品。例如，通过在奢侈品包中添加流苏、珠宝或其他配饰来“改造”或定制它们。
Generally, upcycling can take two forms. First, original products can be deconstructed to create new products from the constituent parts of the originals. As analyzed below, this upcycling technique frequently uses parts of products bearing famous logos to create new accessories. Examples include earrings or pendants made with buttons from old luxury clothes or from cut-up pieces of designer bags. The second upcycling technique involves transforming original products into something new by adding to them. For example, by adding fringes, jewels, or other accessories to luxury bags to “revamp” or customize them.
鉴于其对消费者的吸引力，许多升级再造产品都包含来自现有奢侈品的元素。由于这些商品受知识产权保护，升级再造可能会侵犯这些权利。（图：helloabc / iStock / Getty Images Plus）
Given their appeal to consumers, many upcycled products include elements from existing luxury products. As these goods are protected with IP rights, upcycling may infringe those rights. (Photo: helloabc/iStock / Getty Images Plus)
升级再造对奢侈品牌构成威胁吗？
Is upcycling a threat to luxury brands?
虽然升级再造提供了许多好处，但无论多么环保，它都会引发一系列法律问题。特别是，当使用的材料受商标、版权和其他形式的知识产权保护时。
While upcycling offers many benefits, no matter how environmental-friendly, it can trigger a host of legal issues. In particular, when the materials used are protected by trademarks, copyright, and other forms of intellectual property (IP).
探索法律环境以避免知识产权侵权
Navigating the legal landscape to avoid IP infringement
例如，当升级再造产品是用带有徽标或其他受保护商标的材料制成时，可能会侵犯知识产权。要确定侵权，商标所有者必须证明侵权方（在本例中为制造升级再造产品的一方）在未经所有者同意的情况下在商业中使用了相同或相似的商标，并且该商标的侵权使用可能导致消费者混淆的可能性。在这方面，升级再造的产品可能会侵权，因为它们可能会在消费者中造成对产品来源的混淆。例如，消费者有可能认为该产品是由奢侈品牌制造的。
Infringement of IP rights is likely, for example, when upcycled products are made with materials featuring logos or other protected trademarks. To establish infringement, a trademark owner must show that the infringing party (in this case the party making the upcycled products) uses the same or similar trademark in commerce without the owner’s consent, and that the infringing use of the mark could lead to a likelihood of consumer confusion. In this respect, upcycled products may infringe because they may create a likelihood of confusion among consumers as to the source of the products. For example, consumers may think the product was made by a luxury brand.
但是，在某些情况下，未经商标所有者同意对商标的某些使用是合法的。其中一种情况是采用权利耗尽原则或者说首次销售原则。根据这一原则，商标所有人不能阻止带有其商标的产品的合法购买者向他人出售、出借或赠送该产品。一旦真正的商标产品进入贸易流，商标保护就会耗尽，随后未经授权的产品销售不会违反商标保护。
There are, however, instances where certain uses of a mark without the trademark owner’s consent are lawful. One such instance is where the principle of exhaustion, or first sale, applies. According to this principle, a trademark owner cannot prevent the lawful purchaser of a product that bears their trade mark from selling, loaning, or giving that item to someone else. Once a genuine, trademarked product enters the stream of commerce, trademark protection is exhausted and subsequent unauthorized sale of the product does not violate trademark protection.
然而，权利耗尽原则可能不适用于带有徽标和其他标志的产品的升级再造。权利耗尽原则一个显而易见的重要例外是当产品质量发生变化之时。事实上，法院认为，如果所购买的商品与转售的商品之间存在“实质性差异”，则商标权并未耗尽。与此同时，使用显示徽标和其他标记的材料升级再造的产品可能构成商标侵权，因为产品与原件存在重大差异。升级再造的产品如果是使用原产品加上一些装饰时，也可能会侵权，例如，在现有钱包上添加穗饰---因为升级再造的产品与原始产品存在重大差异。
Nevertheless, the principle of exhaustion may not be applicable to the upcycling of products carrying logos and other marks. The notable major exception to the principle of exhaustion is when the quality of the product has been altered. In fact, courts have held that trademark rights are not exhausted if “material differences” exist between the purchased goods and the goods being re-sold. In turn, upcycled products that use materials displaying logos and other marks may constitute trademark infringement because the products are materially different from the originals. Upcycled products may also infringe when they use the original product intact with some embellishment - for example, by adding a fringe to an existing purse - because again, the upcycled product is materially different from the original.
探索知识产权法律环境是“必须的”，因为侵犯知识产权是有可能的，例如，当升级再造产品是用带有徽标或其他受保护商标的材料制成的时。（图：Garsya / iStock / Getty Images Plus）
Navigating the IP legal landscape is a “must” as infringement of IP rights is likely, for example, when upcycled products are made with materials featuring logos or other protected trademarks. (Photo: Garsya / iStock / Getty Images Plus)
在线阅读全文，进一步了解升级再造。
Read the full article online and learn more about upcycling.
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