英语听力精选进阶版 13979

Google keyword sale dispute

Summary

2 April 2010

Search engine company Google is in disagreement with a number of well-known companies because it sells product related search keywords to unrelated companies.

Reporter:

Nigel Cassidy

Report

If you go onto the Google search engine and enter a famous brand name, you might expect to see lists of sites associated directly with that same company. That used to be the case until a few years ago. But now Google makes large sums from allowing other advertisers to bid for keywords, including those of established names such as the leather bag makers¹ Louis Vuitton.

That means links to their websites appear near the top of the list that comes up after the search. LVMH says the practice is confusing for buyers who can't be sure if the goods are genuine. Over time they fear that their reputation will be damaged and they'll lose business to counterfeiters.

But having studied European law carefully the Court of Justice said in a statement that Google hadn't infringed² trademark³ law by allowing outside advertisers to buy up keywords.

Google has said it will honour valid⁴ complaints, though trademark holders⁵ think that their brand names shouldn't be sold to outside operators in the first place.

France's highest court has the final say in this particular case, but many more involving other luxury goods makers are pending⁶ on both sides of the Atlantic.

Nigel Cassidy, BBC, Brussels

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 infringed   

v.违反（规章等）( infringe的过去式和过去分词 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等）

参考例句：

• Wherever the troops went, they never infringed on the people's interests. 大军过处，秋毫无犯。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He was arrested on a charge of having infringed the Election Law. 他因被指控触犯选举法而被拘捕。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

4 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

5 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

6 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。