Remember the fake Apple store that we covered a few weeks back? Turns out it was just one of the many, copyright-infringing, may-be-genuine-but-not stores that’s peddling Apple’s wares in that particular slice of China. Reuters reports that Chinese authorities have identified another 22 unauthorized Apple stores in the region. The stores have since been ordered to stop using Apple’s logo after Apple China accused them of unfair competition and trademark violation. While not all unauthorized stores sell counterfeit Apple products, a good portion of them sell smuggled Apple products at a discounted price, though the report does not specify if the stores did either. The positive reaction of local Chinese authorities is a positive sign that IP rights are taking hold in China, a country that’ s been listed for the seventh year by the U.S. Trade Representative’s office as a country with one of the worst records for preventing copyright theft.
Source: Reuters