“必须要让知识产权侵权者付出代价！”日前，德国联邦专利法院院长贝亚特·施密特在接受中国知识产权报记者采访时一语道出知识产权保护的重要性。

　　“自上世纪80年代建立知识产权制度以来，中国在知识产权领域取得了飞速的发展。”施密特表示，40年来，中国与德国在知识产权领域建立了紧密的合作关系。如今，中国国家知识产权局已经发展成为世界最大的知识产权局。目前，中国的知识产权申请量位居世界前列，未来几年这一数字还将继续增长。

　　“近年来，中国一直努力完善知识产权法律体系，强化知识产权保护。中国现有的知识产权法律制度遵循国际标准，并在一定程度上覆盖了所有知识产权门类。”施密特表示。在她看来，仅仅通过立法并不能有效保护知识产权，还需要一套行之有效的制度来保护权利人的合法权益。因此，当知识产权侵权行为给权利人带来经济损失以及不利影响时，需要有适当的补偿，并遏制侵权者持续获得非法所得。

　　“为了加强知识产权保护力度，中国政府重新组建了国家知识产权局。在司法层面，中国设立了多家专门的知识产权法庭。2019年，最高人民法院知识产权法庭揭牌成立。这些都是中国加大知识产权保护力度的有力举措。据我了解，中国的各级知识产权法庭审理了大量的知识产权案件。”施密特说。

　　在施密特看来，没有一个国家能够像中国这样迅速认识到知识产权保护的重要性，并且接受知识产权对经济发展至关重要的观点。当然，中国依然需要付出时间和精力将强化知识产权保护的理念付诸实践，并提升社会公众的知识产权保护意识。

　　“近年来，中国加大了对盗版及侵权假冒行为的打击力度。未来，中国在继续遏制知识产权侵权行为方面仍将面临较大挑战。”施密特认为，保护知识产权和打击侵权假冒行为的关键在于知识产权管理和执法。确定合理的赔偿金额是打击知识产权侵权行为的可行办法，尤其是在短期内处理大量知识产权侵权案件时。（柳鹏|中国知识产权报）

　　（本文内容仅代表受访者个人观点，与德国联邦专利法院无关）

　　"IP violations must have tangible consequences for the infringer," Beate Schmidt, President of the German Federal Patent Court, stressed the importance of IP protection in an interview with China Intellectual Property News recently.

　　"Since the People's Republic of China started to establish its own system of industrial property protection in the? 1980s, there has been a very rapid development indeed," said Schmidt. In her eyes, today, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has become the largest IP Office in the world, ranking among the top destinations for IP applications. With such pace, the growth will be expected over the next few years.

　　"In recent years, China has made great and successful efforts to improve IP protection by revising and updating its legislation. The existing legal provisions follow international standards and they cover all relevant areas of Intellectual Property to the extent necessary," said Schmidt. In her view, legislation alone cannot guarantee effective protection of IPRs. Without a functioning system to enforce those rights successfully against infringers, there is no real protection. There has to be an adequate compensation for the losses and disadvantages caused by an infringement. At the same time, the infringer has to be prevented from keeping his illegally obtained profits.

　　"In recent years, China has made great and successful efforts to improve IP protection. These efforts were flanked by the reorganization of the National Intellectual Property Administration and by the establishment of specialised IP courts – with the establishment of the IP Court within the Supreme People's Court in 2019 as a climax. I know from many conversations with judges, that these courts deal with an overwhelming number of cases," said Schmidt.

　　"No other country embraced the idea of IP protection and its importance for economic development so quickly and consequently as China did. Of course, it takes time and effort to implement such a new concept and raise awareness for it across the country," added Schmidt.

　　"Although China in recent years has intensified its fight against product piracy and counterfeit goods, the challenge to stop IP infringements remains a constant challenge in future," said Schmidt. She thought that IP management and enforcement are keys to protect IP and crack down upon on infringements. In parallel, reasonably calculated punitive damages might be a feasible solution as well, especially when it is necessary to deal with a great number of cases with a short notice.? (Liu Peng｜China Intellectual Property News)

　　(The interview only reflects the personal views of the interviewee, not necessarily suggesting they are the views of the German Federal Patent Court)

　　贝亚特·施密特

　　2011年5月至今，担任德国联邦专利法院院长

　　2006年8月至2011年4月，欧盟内部市场协调局（现更名为欧盟知识产权局）司长。先后在该局商标与撤销部、撤销与诉讼部就职，在撤销与诉讼部主要负责为上诉委员会的判决作辩护

　　2000年2月至2006年7月，德国专利商标局第三司（商标、实用新型与外观设计）司长；1997年5月至2000年1月，德国专利商标局第4.1处处长，负责人员、预算管理；1994年12月至1997年4月，德国联邦专利法院第32届商标上诉委员会法官；1991年1月至1994年12月，德国联邦司法部副部长个人秘书；1986年8月至1990年12月，德国联邦司法部IIIB3处（版权法）法务人员，从1989年开始在该部门人事处担任法务人员；1982年11月至1986年8月，德国阿沙芬堡地方法院刑事与民事诉讼法官，阿沙芬堡地方法院检察官，1982年通过第二次德国国家司法考试；1974年10月至1979年12月，德国维尔茨堡大学学习法律，通过第一次德国国家司法考试

　　Beate Schmidt

　　Since 5/2011 President of the Federal Patent Court

　　8/2006 - 4/2011 Director at the Office of Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM, now EUIPO), initially in the Trade Mark and Cancellation Department, then in the Cancellation and Litigation Department, responsible for the defense of rulings by the Boards of Appeal before the European Court of Justice and the General Court in Luxembourg

　　2/2000 - 7/2006 German Patent and Trade Mark Office, Head of Directorate General 3 (Trade Marks, Utility Models and Designs); 5/1997 - 1/2000 German Patent and Trade Mark Office, Head of Division 4.1 (personnel, budget); 12/1994 - 4/1997 Judge on the 32nd Board of Appeal for Trade Marks at the Federal Patent Court; 1/1991 - 12/1994 Private secretary to the state secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice; 8/1986 - 12/1990 Legal officer in division IIIB3 (copyright law), from 1989 legal officer in the personnel division of the Federal Ministry of Justice; 11/1982 – 8/1986 Judge in criminal and civil matters at Aschaffenburg Regional and Local Courts, public prosecutor at Aschaffenburg Regional Court,1982 Second State Examination in Law; 10/1974 - 12/1979 Law studies at Maximilians University Würzburg, First State Examination in Law