Chinese authorities already shut down two fake Apple Stores located in the Kunming area, but that was apparently just the opening salvo. According to Reuters, 22 more unauthorized Apple retailers have now been located and shuttered.
It’s not clear from the report if these retailers went all-out like the first two, with stores that looked virtually identical to the real thing. Sources were also unable to confirm if these retailers were actually selling Apple products or just broadly similar fakes.
Situations like this are apparently an ongoing issue in China, which is generally lax about enforcing copyright or IP restrictions. Given that the majority of Apple’s devices are manufactured in Chinese factories, it’s not particularly surprising that so many of them are finding their way onto the grey and black markets of China, and this latest crackdown is probably only a temporary setback for these fake retailers.
China finds and shuts down 22 more fake Apple Stores originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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