The Chinese authorities have started clamping down on fake Apple Stores. They've closed down two in the city of Kunming - not because they're copying Apple's iconic shops but because they didn't have a licence to trade in the first place.
The whole Chinese fake Apple Store thing began last week, when an American blogger in Kunming posted photos of one of the stores, complete with Apple posters, spiral staircase and genuine Apple goods - presumably imported on the grey market.
The photos of the (very good) fake shop swept the internet and resulted in angry customers, who thought they'd been in a genuine Apple store, demanding money back.
Now the authorities have started closing them down, although the store that sparked the interest is still trading and has, reportedly, applied to Apple for full third-party trader status.
Chinese law, apparently, prohibits companies from copying "the look and feel" of other companies' stores. It seems there were a total of five fake Apple Stores in the city, all selling genuine Apple products. So...two down, three to go."Media should not misunderstand the situation and jump to conclusions. Some overseas media has made it appear the stores sold fake Apple products," said Chang Puyun, spokesman of Kunming government's business bureau."China has taken great steps to enforce intellectual property rights and the stores weren't selling fake products."Officials are investigating whether Apple had applied with the Chinese government to have its store design and layout protected by law, Chang added.Inspections of around 300 shops in Kunming were carried out after a blog post by an American living in the city exposed a near-flawless fake Apple Store where even the staff were convinced they were working for the iPhone maker.
(Source: Reuters)
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