China Cracks Down On Fake Apple Stores 146
angry tapir writes "The Chinese city of Kunming has stopped 22 fake Apple stores from illegally using the company's iconic trademarks after Apple lodged a complaint with authorities. Kunming authorities found 20 unauthorized Apple resellers. Currently, 11 of those resellers are being investigated. Two other stores were discovered for related violations. Slashdot first discussed the mushrooming of fake Apple Stores in July."
Re:I hope Apple knows that China doesn't fuck arou (Score:4, Insightful)
Maybe, but look at it from the flipside: China generally takes a very lax approach to Western copyright infringement. Them snapping to action to shut these stores down implies that China is afraid of Apple. Seriously. They fucked around with Google just like anyone else, but they're running scared under the fear that Apple will crack down on them.
Do the MacHeads realize just how much raw, unchecked power they're giving the lunatics at Apple? God help us all, China is afraid of them now!
iKid-ney (Score:1, Insightful)
When will they crack down on the criminals that took this boy's kidney in a state hospital? Oh right, never.
Just pointing that doesn't matter how much or how less fascist your government is, if it's the Corp orders:
YOU
BEND
OVER
PERIOD
.
Re:I hope Apple knows that China doesn't fuck arou (Score:5, Insightful)
And I'm guessing that they're just paying lip service to Apple, copyrights, patents and the like. And as soon as the store owners start paying the right people, it will be business as usual (again).
vs. the US??? (Score:5, Insightful)
1. I've read that the products sold were genuine.
2. Go to rural Alabama and ask those people about US intellectual property law. See how well they do. Somehow Americans expect people in a distant country who grew up under a communist regime ( not so communist for only the last 10 years. This is Kunming - not Shanghai or Beijing or Shenzhen ) to understand the laws of a country 5,000 miles away when a lot of Americans don't know American law. Then try asking people in Alabama making wood products to be shipped to China about the intricacies of Chinese building codes. If they don't know all the answers, what do you expect? We should put them in jail for not following Chinese laws?
Honestly people. Chinese in Kunming lived in a world from 200 years ago until just recently.
It's a shame (Score:5, Insightful)
All the effort that goes into creating knock-offs could be used to make something truly original.
Re:vs. the US??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Point 2 is irrelevant. No one is expecting the consumers to know all that you've listed, that's not a rebuttal to anything. The expectation is on the businessmen who establish these American-branded retail shops internationally -- in which case YES they should know their shit, and when they intentionally abuse the system they should bear the consequences.
Re:I hope Apple knows that China doesn't fuck arou (Score:4, Insightful)
I wonder how many people will be executed for this whole ordeal.
What idiots vote this nonsense "interesting"? China has executed people for selling milk with generous amounts of grinded plastic added, making hundred thousands sick. China has executed people for stealing millions from state owned businesses. China doesn't execute people for opening a shop with a false Apple logo.