1993年Passage 3

When an invention is made, the inventor has three possible courses of action open to him: he
can give the invention to the world by publishing it, keep the idea secret, or patent it.

A granted patent is the result of a bargain struck between an inventor and the state, by which the inventor gets a limited period of monopoly (壟斷) and publishes full details of his invention to the public after that period terminates. Only in the most exceptional circumstances is the lifespan of a patent extended to alter this normal process of events.

The longest extension ever granted was to Georges Valensi; his 1939 patent for color TV receiver circuitry was extended until 1971 because for most of the patent' s normal life there was no colour TV to receive and thus no hope of reward for the invention.

Because a patent remains permanently public after it has terminated, the shelves of the library attached to the patent office contain details of literally millions of ideas that are free for anyone to use and, if older than half a century, sometimes even re-patent. Indeed, patent experts often advise anyone wishing to avoid the high cost of conducting a search through live patents that the one sure way of avoiding violation of any other inventor' s right is to plagiarize a dead patent. Likewise , because publication of an idea in any other form permanently invalidates further patents on that idea, it is traditionally safe to take ideas from other areas of print. Much modern technological advance is based on these presumptions of legal security.

Anyone closely involved in patents and inventions soon learns that most "new" ideas are, in fact, as old as the hills. It is their reduction to commercial practice, either through necessity or dedication, or through the availability of new technology, that makes news and money. The basic patent for the theory of magnetic recording dates back to 1886. Many of the original ideas behind television originate from the late 19th and early 20th century. Even the Volkswagen rear engine car was anticipated by a 1904 patent for a cart with the horse at the rear.

42. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
[A] When a patent becomes out of effect, it can be re-patented or extended if necessary.
[B] It is necessary for an inventor to apply for a patent before he makes his invention public.
[C] A patent holder must publicize the details of his invention when its legal period is over.
[D] One can get all the details of a patented invention from a library attached to the patent office.

[答案] C

[解題思路]

本題可以采用排除法。A選項對應于文章第二段的最后一句話"Only in the most exceptional circumstances is the lifespan of a patent extended to alter this normal process of events"（），因此只有在極為特殊的情況下才可能延長專利期，因此A選項錯誤。B選項的表述在文章中沒有提及。D選項對應于第四段的第一句話"Because a patent remains permanently public after it has terminated, the shelves of the library attached to the patent office contain details of literally millions of ideas that are free for anyone to use and, if older than half a century, sometimes even re-patent"（因為一項專利到期后，該專利就永久公開了，因此，專利局的圖書館書架上那數百萬個觀點只要是超過半個世紀，任何人都可自由使用，有時甚至可以重新取得專利），但是原文沒有提到是否可以得到關于任何發明的所有細節，因此該選項也可以排除。而C選項對應于文章第二段第一句話"A granted patent is the result of a bargain struck between an inventor and the state, by which the inventor gets a limited period of monopoly (壟斷) and publishes full details of his invention to the public after that period terminates"（專利的授予是發明者和國家之間形成的一種契約。根據這種契約，發明者對自己的發明可獲得一定時期的壟斷權，壟斷期結束后，就要把該項發明的全部細節公布于眾），選項表述符合原句，是正確答案。

[題目譯文]

下面的哪一項符合文章的意思？
[A] 當一項專利過期之后，在必要時可以重新授予其專利權或延長專利期
[B] 發明者在公布他的發明之前申請專利是非常必要的
[C] 專利擁有者再合法時期之后必須公布其發明的細節
[D] 人們可以從專利局的圖書館中得到關于一項專利發明的所有細節

43. George Valensi's patent lasted until 1971 because
[A] nobody would offer any reward for his patent prior to that time
[B] his patent could not be put to use for an unusually long time
[C] there were not enough TV stations to provide colour programmes
[D] the colour TV receiver was not available until that time

[答案] B

[解題思路]

喬治·瓦倫西的例子出現在文章第三段"The longest extension ever granted was to Georges Valensi; his 1939 patent for color TV receiver circuitry was extended until 1971 because for most of the patent' s normal life there was no colour TV to receive and thus no hope of reward for the invention"（延長時間最長的專利批準給了喬治·瓦倫西。他于1939年獲準的彩電接收機線路的專利一直延續到1971年，因為在當時這項專利期內沒有彩色電視節目可以接收，因此專利無望被采用），顯然只有B選項符合原句的意思。

[題目譯文]

喬治·瓦倫西的專利一直持續到1971年，因為
[A] 在那個時間以前沒有人能夠給他頒發任何獎項
[B] 他的專利在一段相當長的時期內不能用于實際用途
[C] 沒有很多電視臺能夠提供彩色節目
[D] 那個時候還沒有彩色電視機