Introduction:Recently, a "Lotus Clear-Warmth Coffee" with packaging designed to mimic that of Lianhua Qingwen capsules has sparked discussions on social media, becoming another creative coffee inspired by pharmaceutical packaging following the "Huoxiang Zhengqi Iced Americano." Although the product does not actually contain any medicinal ingredients, it claims to provide effects such as boosting energy, fighting fatigue, and even alleviating cold symptoms. Is this the work of caffeine, or merely psychological suggestion? Does the use of similar packaging by businesses constitute an infringement? This article delves into the underlying principles and explores the related legal and market phenomena.
This "Lotus Clear-Warmth Coffee," which has widely circulated online, visually imitates the packaging design of Lianhua Qingwen capsules. The bottle is affixed with playful labels resembling medicine instructions, such as "Indications" that include refreshing the mind, relieving fatigue, and even addressing symptoms like mental confusion and memory decline. Although the actual content remains ordinary coffee without any added medicinal substances, its creative packaging and dramatic "efficacy claims" have successfully drawn extensive discussion and sharing.
In terms of actual functionality, this coffee is no different from regular coffee, with its energizing effect primarily derived from its caffeine content. Some netizens have shared that after drinking it during a cold, they experienced some relief from headaches and nasal congestion, speculating that it was the "medicinal effect" of the coffee at work. In reality,caffeine can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, causing blood vessels to constrict, which may have a certain soothing effect on headaches caused by vasodilation due to a cold, as well as nasal congestion resulting from nasal blood vessel engorgement.
However, such "efficacy" does not apply to everyone, nor is it the pharmacological action of Lianhua Qingwen itself. Cold causes are diverse, and individual constitutions vary greatly; coffee is not a panacea for treating colds. If symptoms do not improve after consumption, that is also normal. Therefore, the so-called "therapeutic" function is more likely to be psychological suggestion or an occasional physiological response.
It is worth mentioning that, unlike the previously popular Huoxiang Zhengqi Iced Americano—which actually contained Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid—the Lotus Clear-Warmth Coffee only mimics the appearance and copywriting without adding any actual medication, making it relatively safer in terms of safety. Nevertheless, such packaging design has still sparked discussions about trademark and design infringement.
Currently, the name "Lianhua Qingwen" has not been registered as a proprietary trademark, and the packaging design patent of the medicine box also does not explicitly cover such imitation behavior. Some businesses use "Lotus" instead of "Lianhua" on the packaging to superficially avoid direct infringement, but the overall design style remains highly similar to pharmaceutical packaging, leaving some room for controversy. If businesses further use complete corporate names such as "Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical" along with the words "Lianhua Qingwen," it may constitute unfair competition, and the pharmaceutical company has the right to pursue legal responsibility accordingly.
In fact, this trend of "pharmaceutical-style beverages" is not limited to coffee. From cola to milk tea, and even craft beer, products that imitate pharmaceutical packaging designs and come with humorous "indications" labels have emerged one after another, becoming humorous topics online. While consumers engaging in personal parody is harmless, commercial activities require careful assessment of copyright and legal risks to avoid breaking the law or engaging in unfair competition.
In summary, the reason why Lotus Clear-Warmth-style coffee has sparked heated discussion lies not only in the topicality brought by its creative appearance, but also in the public's high attention to the energizing effects of caffeine and their expectations for "functional beverages" during special times. However, while enjoying these fun products, consumers should also rationally view their actual efficacy to avoid misunderstanding or over-reliance. For businesses, while innovative packaging can attract attention, it must still be carried out within the framework of law and ethics to ensure long-term development.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
