نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

• مهدی زاهدی ¹
• سارا صلح چی ²

¹ دانشیار حقوق گروه حقوق بین‌الملل عمومی، دانشکدۀ حقوق و علوم سیاسی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران

² کارشناس ارشد حقوق مالکیت فکری، دانشکدۀ حقوق و علوم سیاسی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران

چکیده

شخصیت‌های خیالی، ابتکارهای فرهنگی و فناورانه‌ای هستند که در نظام حقوق مالکیت فکری مورد حمایت قرار می‌گیرند و این حمایت، حقوق مادی و معنوی مشخصی را برای شخصیت‌ها به ارمغان می‌آورد. برای نمونه، در نظام حقوقی علائم تجاری، از شخصیت‌های خیالی به‌منظور جلوگیری از گمراهی مصرف‌کننده، شناسایی منبع واحد کالا و خدمات، حفظ شهرت و منع رقابت غیرمنصفانه حمایت می‌گردد. حمایت از نام، نمایش تصویری متمایز و لباس شخصیت‌های خیالی به‌عنوان علامت تجاری از مصادیق حمایت این نظام از شخصیت‌های خیالی هستند. بااین‌حال، قوانین ملی در اکثر کشور‌ها و اسناد بین‌المللی مربوط، مقررات جامعی را در این خصوص وضع نکرده‌اند؛ لیکن با بررسی رویۀ قضایی به‌ویژه رویۀ دادگاه‌های ایالات متحد آمریکا، می‌توان ابعاد حقوقی نظام حمایتی علائم تجاری را درمورد شخصیت‌های خیالی استخراج کرد. از‌این‌رو، این مقاله تلاش دارد با روش توصیفی- تحلیلی و شیوۀ گردآوری اطلاعات به‌صورت کتابخانه‌ای، ابعاد، عناصر قابل حمایت، شرایط حمایت و نقض علامت تجاری شخصیت‌های خیالی را با استناد به قوانین و رویۀ قضایی تبیین کند. درنهایت یافتۀ پژوهش نشان می‌دهد حمایت از شخصیت‌های خیالی در نظام حقوقی علامت تجاری به طیف وسیعی از عناصر ازجمله نام، ظاهر بصری، لباس و حتی گفته‌های مهم مرتبط و شعار شخصیت با احراز شرایط مورد نیاز تعلق می‌گیرد.

کلیدواژه‌ها

• حقوق مالکیت فکری
• رقیق سازی
• شخصیت‌های خیالی
• گمراهی مصرف‌کننده
• نظام علامت تجاری

موضوعات

• حقوق خصوصی

عنوان مقاله [English]

The Role of Trademark Law System in Protecting Fictional Characters: A Focus on the Legal System of the United States of America

نویسندگان [English]

• Mehdi Zahedi ¹
• Sara Solhchi ²

¹ Associate Professor, Public International Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

² M.A. in Intellectual Property Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

چکیده [English]

As cultural, artistic, and media constructs, fictional characters occupy a special and increasingly important place in today’s intellectual property rights system. These characters—created in the form of fictional works, films, animations, computer games, advertisements, and other creative formats—possess both significant material and spiritual value. This dual value underscores the necessity for effective and multi-layered legal protection. Fictional characters are not only tools for storytelling and emotional connection but also serve as major commercial assets that can generate extensive revenue streams. One of the principal challenges in protecting fictional characters lies in their inherently composite and complex nature, which makes it difficult—if not impossible—for a single legal framework, such as copyright law, to fully address all aspects of their identity and function.
In this regard, the trademark legal system in the United States has provided a particularly suitable and adaptable platform for the protection of such characters. This has been achieved by the development of judicial procedures and the adoption of broad, evolving interpretations of traditional trademark concepts. The flexibility of the U.S. trademark system allows courts to adapt legal protections to new commercial realities, including the branding and licensing of fictional characters across multiple platforms.
Within the trademark system, the primary and most fundamental criterion for the protection of a fictional character is its distinctiveness—its ability to serve as a unique source identifier for particular goods or services in the eyes of consumers. When a fictional character can function as a recognizable brand that consumers associate with a specific source, it becomes eligible for trademark protection. This type of legal protection is particularly significant and relevant in the entertainment, media, and multimedia industries, where fictional characters play a central and often indispensable role in both branding and marketing strategies.
According to the consistent practice of U.S. courts, when analyzing a character’s capacity to function as a distinctive identifier, trademark protection has been extended beyond just the character’s name. It can also encompass the character’s clothing, appearance, distinctive visual representation, and associated slogans. The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method and relying primarily on library resources, explores in detail the conceptual, analytical, and procedural aspects of this issue. It begins by identifying the specific conditions and essential elements of fictional characters that may be protected under the U.S. trademark system. Following this, it provides a legal analysis of various examples of trademark infringement, such as unauthorized commercial use, dilution of the character’s symbolic value, reputational harm, and cases of unfair competition.
The findings of this research clearly demonstrate that the trademark system in the United States not only possesses the legal capacity to recognize rights related to fictional characters, but also offers mechanisms to compensate for the inherent limitations of the copyright system. This is particularly important in scenarios where the originality or fixed format of the work does not meet the threshold for copyright protection. Among the most important protectable elements are the character’s name, distinctive visual depiction, and widely recognized slogans. These elements may qualify for trademark protection as long as they possess the necessary distinctiveness and can serve to identify a single commercial source. It should be emphasized, however, that such protection is conditional. It applies only when the character has achieved recognition among consumers as an indicator of a specific origin of goods or services—a concept known in U.S. trademark law as "secondary meaning."
From an economic standpoint, fictional characters have evolved into extremely valuable commercial assets for corporations, content creators, and rights holders. In this context, trademark law serves as the primary legal tool for ensuring a return on investment and for exercising control over the commercial use of such characters. Unauthorized use or exploitation of these characters can cause damage to brand reputation, confuse consumers, and result in acts of unfair competition—all of which are issues addressed through the application of trademark principles.
In parallel to the U.S. legal system, the legal framework in Iran has also been examined in this study. The Industrial Property Protection Law of 1403 defines a trademark as a visible sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one party from those of another. According to Articles 95 and 96 of this law, distinctiveness and the absence of misleading characteristics are essential prerequisites for trademark registration. However, the Iranian legal system currently lacks explicit and detailed provisions regarding the protection of fictional characters as trademarks. This legal gap creates challenges for character owners in terms of asserting their rights and preventing unauthorized use. While it is technically possible to register the name and image of certain fictional characters—such as “Mr. Jenab Khan” or “Red Riding Hood”—as trademarks, such protection is typically limited in scope to the specific registered element and does not extend to broader aspects of the character’s identity or associated branding.
Given this regulatory gap, drawing insights from the experiences and legal precedents of advanced legal systems, particularly that of the United States, could be highly beneficial for developing more comprehensive and effective legal strategies in Iran. However, implementing such strategies would require careful adaptation to align with the country’s unique legal structure, cultural context, and practical constraints.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

• Intellectual Property Rights
• Trademark System
• Fictional Characters
• Consumer Deception
• Trademark Dilution