Following the discovery of some pretty convincing fake Apple stores in China a few weeks ago, the Chinese authorities have been on the hunt for more. Their last find uncovered a whole 22 stores in the city of Kunming along.
According to a Reuters report, the 22 stores have been ordered cease using Apple’s logo by China’s Administration for Industry and Commerce. It’s unclear whether the goods sold inside are genuine Apple or whether they’re just as fake as the stores that house them.
The authorities haven’t given up their search either, according to the report:
The market watchdog agency said it would set up a complaint hotline and boost monitoring, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
It did not say if the shops were selling knock-off Apple products or genuine but smuggled models.
Countless unauthorized resellers of Apple and other brands’ electronic products throughout China sell the real thing but buy their goods overseas and smuggle them into the country to escape taxes.
Two fake stores were ordered to close last month after it became apparent that they didn’t posses the paperwork necessary to operate, though others were allowed to remain open. While the copyright fraud continues, however, it’s unclear how long things will stay that way.
[via MacRumors]
