Fake Apple Stores Mushrooming In China

siliconbits writes "A new worrying phenomenon has cropped up in China and Apple has been its first victim; meet the first fake Apple Stores, entire buildings that have been designed to look like the real ones. Chinese companies have long been known for being master copiers but this takes the concept of plagiarism and copying to a whole new level. As expected, everything, from the architecture of the building, the colour of the paint, to the products, the T-shirt worn by the staff down to the logo and the badge design come from Cupertino."

Modern cargo cult?

[Anonymous Coward]

Decades ago, when military groups landed in places unfamiliar with airplanes and other technologies, groups would form with mocked up crude simulations of the things they saw. From imitating outfits, things they carried, etc. These people knew they wanted the same things these strangers had, and this was the best way they knew how to get to something like what they had. They just didn't have any grasp on the steps really needed to get there.

The difference is that many folks in China do know how to get there... but they also understand realistically they can't provide the same things with the tools they have so far. But mimicking is still the most logical path under the circumstances - provide what they can, and use the income to grow to make that mimicry reality, like most emerging economies playing catch-up end up doing.

They've already copied an entire town

[bizso09]

I don't think this takes their copying to a whole new level. They've already copied an entire city [bbc.co.uk] called Hallstatt in Austria. They've built the same houses, same streets. Compared to that, copying an Apple store is nothing remarkable.

Re:Take it from a Chinese person...

[AK Marc]

That's because western cultural standards don't match. China has had a good "communist" mindset long before communism was invented. There are strong family ties, and a belief that knowledge should be shared. As such, the ideas of the west for protecting IP are as foreign to China as "copyleft" is in the west (where a core of "fanatics" believe in it, a core of companies exploit it, and the general public doesn't understand it or support it).

This means that private property is "sacred" to a level above the US. They are more polite and respectful of other people's things in general. But they don't respect hoarding of knowledge at all. So there's no problem with cheating on tests, violating copyright, trademark, and patents, and other such things.

So they are consistent in their beliefs, predictable, and considered unethical by US standards. But me, I'd take a Chinese partner over a US one any day. The Chinese one will act predictably, even if contrary to my cultural ethics. The American will act in his own best interests at all times, even to the point of sabotaging me if the situation arises. The Chinese sabotage only inadvertently (say if the test is on a curve and he cheats, it will harm you, but he did not cheat to harm you, he cheated because it was unethical to have a test that wasn't open book open note - or the popular one now, they'll just take your IP, even if it violates contracts).

But then I'm not Chinese, and have spent time over there as part of a master's program, but did not make direct business deals. But that's my impression of those I met and dealt with.