In 2004, Wuhan Xinjianye Advertising Decoration Co., Ltd. (Wuhan Xinjianye) signed a design contract with Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (Honda), for the image and architectural structure design of Dongfeng Honda Automobile Sales Servicshop 4S. The contract did not make any provision in relation to ownership of copyright in the designs. When Honda went ahead and built the Serviceshop 4S without involving Wuhan Xinjianye further, Wuhan Xinjianye sued Honda claiming infringement of its copyright and seeking compensation of 150,000 yuan (approx. US$ 23,548) for economic loss on the basis that, in building the Dongfeng Honda Automobile Sales Servicshop 4S, Honda and others had made unauthorised use of its CAD drawings (i.e. construction drawings) and other artistic works.
At first instance, the People's Court of Haidian District of Beijing held that Wuhan Xinjianye's CAD drawings and other artistic works were original and constituted graphic and artistic works for the purposes of the Copyright Law. They did not constitute ‘architectural works' as ‘architectural work' refers to the building itself. Although Wuhan Xinjianye is the owner of copyright in the CAD drawings, Honda had an implied licence to use the drawings for the purpose for which they were created. It had not, therefore, infringed copyright. The court rejected all Wuhan Xinjianye's claims.
Wuhan Xinjianye appealed to the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, which recently handed down a final judgment, rejecting the appeal and upholding the decision of the People's Court of Haidian District.
本田4S 店建筑作品侵权案终审驳回上诉
日期： 2021-04-13
2004年，武汉新建业广告装饰有限公司（下称武汉新建业公司）与东风本田汽车有限公司（下称受本田公司）签订了设计合同书，约定由其接受该公司的委托，进行东风本田4S店的形象设计和建筑结构设计。该合同对所涉建筑作品的著作权归属并未进行约定，由此引发了著作权纠纷。因认为本田公司等擅自使用其享有著作权的CAD图（即建筑施工图）和效果图建设东风本田4S店，武汉新建业公司将本田公司诉至法院，要求停止侵权并赔偿经济损失15万元。
北京市海淀区人民法院一审认为，CAD图及效果图具有独创性，应属作品范畴。至于二者应归属何种作品类型，在我国著作权法规范框架下，建筑作品仅指建筑物本身，故二者并不构成建筑作品。结合我国著作权法中对于图形作品和美术作品的定义，以及CAD图和效果图的特征、用途等，CAD图应属图形作品，效果图应属美术作品。武汉新建业公司虽系CAD图的著作权人，但已授权本田公司使用该图纸建设东风本田4S店，故本田公司及从本田公司处获得CAD图纸的国机公司和德成公司均不构成侵权。最后，法院判决驳回了武汉新建业公司全部诉讼请求。
武汉新建业公司不服一审判决提起上诉，请求撤销一审判决。近日，北京知识产权法院对该案作出终审判决，驳回上诉，维持原判。
来源：中国国际贸易促进委员会 2021-04-13
链接：http://www.ccpit.org/Contents/Channel_4133/2021/0419/1337896/content_1337896.htm
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