China takes piracy to a whole new level with entirely fake Apple stores
China is a mystical, magical, marvellous place. After all, the Chinese invented a huge amount of amazing stuff – fireworks, the compass, paper and much, much more – but despite bringing the world all these wonderful things... some of China's population doesn't give two hoots about copyright law. Seriously. At all.
For proof, take a look at these gobsmackingly unsubtle Apple store rip-offs. Cropping up across China like goosebumps on an anxious Apple executive, they sell pirated Apple products – but not from the back of a lorry somewhere, oh no: they do it in an actual store designed to look like an actual Apple shop.
In fact, these shops are so convincing that it's been reported that even the staff working there – in blue Apple t-shirts, naturally – don't realise they're not actually reporting to Steve Jobs.
These images hit the net recently thanks to an American blogger living in China, who goes by the name of BirdAbroad. She lives in Kunming, southwest China, and in a post entitled "Are you listening, Steve Jobs?", she describes her surprise at seeing a new Apple store in her area – a new Apple store that felt a lot like it wasn't an actual Apple store.
"...some things were just not right: the stairs were poorly made. The walls hadn't been painted properly. Apple never writes "Apple Store" on its signs – it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit."
Good spot there, and no mistake. But, as she puts it, it gets better... "And the best part? A ten minute walk around the corner revealed not one, but TWO more rip-off Apple stores." One of which uses the words "APPLE STOER" on its signs. In Kunming, a town that Steve Jobs has probably never heard of... until now, anyway.
China is a mystical, magical, marvellous place. After all, the Chinese invented a huge amount of amazing stuff – fireworks, the compass, paper and much, much more – but despite bringing the world all these wonderful things... some of China's population doesn't give two hoots about copyright law. Seriously. At all.
For proof, take a look at these gobsmackingly unsubtle Apple store rip-offs. Cropping up across China like goosebumps on an anxious Apple executive, they sell pirated Apple products – but not from the back of a lorry somewhere, oh no: they do it in an actual store designed to look like an actual Apple shop.
In fact, these shops are so convincing that it's been reported that even the staff working there – in blue Apple t-shirts, naturally – don't realise they're not actually reporting to Steve Jobs.
These images hit the net recently thanks to an American blogger living in China, who goes by the name of BirdAbroad. She lives in Kunming, southwest China, and in a post entitled "Are you listening, Steve Jobs?", she describes her surprise at seeing a new Apple store in her area – a new Apple store that felt a lot like it wasn't an actual Apple store.
"...some things were just not right: the stairs were poorly made. The walls hadn't been painted properly. Apple never writes "Apple Store" on its signs – it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit."
Good spot there, and no mistake. But, as she puts it, it gets better... "And the best part? A ten minute walk around the corner revealed not one, but TWO more rip-off Apple stores." One of which uses the words "APPLE STOER" on its signs. In Kunming, a town that Steve Jobs has probably never heard of... until now, anyway.