22 more fake Apple stores found in China
Chinese authorities have found 22 more fake Apple Inc. stores in the city of Kunming after the uncovering of a fake Apple store in that city by a blogger.
China’s Administration for Industry and Commerce has suspended previously exposed stores from doing business, but the 22 newly discovered stores are instead being ordered to stop using Apple’s logo and trademarks, according to a report from Reuters.
State media reports said Apple China had filed a complaint with the government and accused such fake stores of unfair competition and trademark violation.
“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 knockoff 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,” the Reuters report said.
