题目
Under United States law, a distinctive package design can be legally protected against copying. Lorex shampoo, a leading brand, is packaged in a triangular-shaped bottle with a gold label. A major pharmacy chain has introduced a similar, less expensive shampoo in similarly shaped bottles with plain black-and-white labels carrying the chain's name. Though the triangular shape is distinctive, the manufacturer of Lorex has not legally challenged its use for the chain's shampoo.
Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest reason for the manufacturer of Lorex not to challenge the chain's use of the triangular package design?
选项
A.The manufacturer of Lorex depends on sales on the willingness of the chain to stock Lorex and other of the manufacturer's products.
B.The black-and-white labeling of the chain's shampoo indicates to the consumer that irrelevant expense has been spared in order to bring the product to the consumer at a lower cost.
C.The cost of manufacturing the chain's shampoo is substantially lower than the cost of manufacturing Lorex.
D.Lawsuits brought for the purpose of protecting distinctive package designs are generally successful.
E.The manufacturer of Lorex also manufactures other shampoos, and those shampoos are not sold in triangular-shaped.
解析
根据美国法律,独特的包装设计可受法律保护以防止被抄袭。Lorex洗发水是一个领先品牌,装在带有金色标签的三角形瓶子里。一家大型连锁药店推出了一种类似的、价格更低的洗发水,使用了形状相似的瓶子,标签是带有该连锁店名称的普通黑白标签。尽管三角形的形状很独特,但Lorex的制造商并没有对该连锁店的洗发水使用这种形状提出法律质疑。
- **核心论点**:Lorex的制造商未对连锁药店使用相似的三角形包装设计提出法律挑战,需解释这一行为的原因。
- **正确答案方向**:需找到一个因素,表明“不挑战”能为Lorex制造商带来更大利益(或“挑战”会造成更大损失),例如商业合作、销售渠道依赖等利益关联。
- **选项A**:Lorex的制造商依赖于该连锁药店愿意进货Lorex和该制造商的其他产品。
分析:若制造商起诉连锁药店,连锁药店可能终止合作(不再进货其产品),这会严重损害制造商的销售利益。因此,为维护销售渠道和合作关系,制造商选择不挑战。该选项从“利益权衡”角度解释了不挑战的原因,逻辑合理。
- **选项B**:连锁药店洗发水的黑白标签向消费者表明,为降低成本已省去无关费用。
分析:该选项仅解释了连锁药店洗发水的标签设计意图,与“Lorex制造商为何不挑战包装设计”无关,无法解释其决策逻辑。
- **选项C**:连锁药店洗发水的生产成本远低于Lorex的生产成本。
分析:生产成本差异与“包装设计的法律挑战”无关(挑战与否是法律层面的包装保护问题,非成本问题),无法解释制造商的决策。
- **选项D**:为保护独特包装设计而提起的诉讼通常会成功。
分析:若诉讼“通常成功”,制造商更应挑战(因能胜诉维权),但题目中制造商未挑战,该选项反而削弱了“不挑战”的合理性(与预期行为矛盾)。
- **选项E**:Lorex的制造商也生产其他洗发水,那些洗发水不用三角形包装。
分析:其他洗发水的包装设计与“为何不挑战连锁药店使用三角形包装”无关,无法解释Lorex制造商的决策逻辑。
综上,只有选项A能为Lorex制造商“不挑战连锁药店的包装设计”提供最强理由。