I saw this phone about a month ago at a shop in the Asian Garden Mall in Westminster, California. Anyone who tried it for more than 3 seconds would know it wasn't an Apple product.
It makes no difference that some can quickly tell it is a counterfeit. That does not change the fact that it is a counterfeit, albeit, a bad one. There are many people in developing nations who have never seen an Apple product. They would have no idea.
So many of these posts are off arguing about copyright laws, etc. Some are even poking fun at Apple about iPod knock-offs hitting the market before the real thing.
What none of these posts realize is that all of their blather is MOOT.
The knock offs don't violate copyright laws, and they didn't "beat Apple to the punch". Why? Because they are similar to the originals only at the most basic visual level (i.e. shape or color). When you turn them on, it is very clear that they are NOT iPods.
Yes, some of you will argue that even that level of similarity is enough to warrant a closer look at copyright violation. And you are probably correct. But let's make sure that people really understand what this debate is truly about.
These knock-offs don't come anywhere near the real deal. Same with iPhones and Macs. If you don't get that, then you haven't really used both the original AND the knock off. I've seen these wannabe Apple knock-offs. And they are laughable. If I were Apple, I wouldn't bother worrying about it.
Thompson
Even if it is easy to distinguish, I am pretty sure it is a trademark violation. I don't really know if copyrights are being violated here, they may well be, but trademarks are a little different. Using Apple's logo is one pretty clear one, and using the product name and typeface is another.
It is still a problem for Apple, particularly for potential customers that get these and think it's just as good when they've not used the real thing.
It makes no difference that some can quickly tell it is a counterfeit. That does not change the fact that it is a counterfeit, albeit, a bad one. There are many people in developing nations who have never seen an Apple product. They would have no idea.
My girlfriend is originally from Thailand and I've visited her family many times. The people there know way more about cellphones than your average American. I think the only people who might be confused are clueless Americans who stumble into a shop in Bangkok or Westminster. (And then they blog about it.)
I could never understand the fake of anything. Like iPods, Purses, Clothing, Glasses. And now iPhones. It's like people want the product, but don't want to pay the price. Well to get the product you have to pay the price, otherwise its nothing like the original.
when you said china and hong kong have the same problems with intellectual property and rule of law did u mean when i comes to counterfeit goods or just the law in general, if you meant the latter you are incorrect because hong kong is a special administrative regions of china and therefore basically a separate country with it own laws, government etc. and therefore does not have the same issues as the mainland does. this is not meant to be an attack i just didn't find your comparison to be very clear.
About the counterfeit goods, it doesn't really matter where it is in Asia, they exist everywhere. Yes, including the very most developed cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. It's also not about the rule of law or anything. It's about producing something that people can afford. Though these Asian countries or cities are so technologically advanced, these things will still exist. One thing to really recognize about Asia is that income equality is still nowhere near the developed West.
The other thing is that most of the law enforcements cannot do anything about it. For example, in Thailand, though bribery also exists, they cannot just arrest the sellers of the counterfeit goods just because it's considered a tort where if those IP owners don't sue them, then the police cannot do anything no matter how obvious it is. So these people can keep selling these things until Apple in Thailand decide to sue them.
And again, it's not about not respecting Western IP owners in particular. The makers of these knockoffs just don't care. Whether it's a local or Western, any brands, they would do it if they can produce it at a cheaper price.
At last, Taiwan = China = Hong Kong = Macau but Thailand is not China. These knockoff iPhones are produced in China (Thailand hardly produces anything but keyboards, hard drives and LCD TVs really) but imported and sold in Thailand and anywhere else in Southeast Asia. It just happened to be spotted in MBK, Bangkok.
So you think copying all visible features including the Apple logo does not constitute counterfeiting? You think these companies are not unlawfully using any of Apple's protected intellectual property? You think they are not trying to fool the uninformed into thinking they are buying an Apple product? You think these companies are not run by slime-balls and thieves? A post like yours cannot be taken seriously.
You might be right about one thing. I doubt any of it is copyright infringement in the country in question because I doubt that country has any such thing as copyright law.
Copyright infringement laws are treated as tort law, not criminal in some countries.
the XSKN manufacturer got a mockup of the iphone nano, that's why they had to photoshop the screenshots of the iphone into the skin photos... apple never gives working hardware to companies like that...! it would be strange if XSKN posted photos with a real working iphone nano!
and why would there be knock-offs/counterfeits of the iphone nano if apple isn't gonna introduce one next month...!!! those people speculate on the need for sme people to buy a cheap device mimicking the original... to look cool for a fraction of the cost.. the iphone nano knock-off costs 2900 baht, ?60.00 or $80.00, compared to the real iphone pricing only a fraction of the cost...
Interesting to see what Asia is allowed to get away with. I wonder if they got the iPhone software to load into these devices. And when will the Mac clones begin making their way into the states. PC's that look like iMac's but aren't. I think they would have come first.
I would think the Nano version would come with the same base OS but remove all but the basics, Phone, iPod, Contacts, Notes. Still I get back to the current iPhone's $199 price and wonder if a $99 version would make sense.. Or would a subsidized version at $0 make any sense.
The point of NO BUTTONS, ALL OS Integrated is that one device can be the end all be all device. Simply change the interface.
About the counterfeit goods, it doesn't really matter where it is in Asia, they exist everywhere. Yes, including the very most developed cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. It's also not about the rule of law or anything. It's about producing something that people can afford. Though these Asian countries or cities are so technologically advanced, these things will still exist. One thing to really recognize about Asia is that income equality is still nowhere near the developed West.
The other thing is that most of the law enforcements cannot do anything about it. For example, in Thailand, though bribery also exists, they cannot just arrest the sellers of the counterfeit goods just because it's considered a tort where if those IP owners don't sue them, then the police cannot do anything no matter how obvious it is. So these people can keep selling these things until Apple in Thailand decide to sue them.
And again, it's not about not respecting Western IP owners in particular. The makers of these knockoffs just don't care. Whether it's a local or Western, any brands, they would do it if they can produce it at a cheaper price.
At last, Taiwan = China = Hong Kong = Macau but Thailand is not China. These knockoff iPhones are produced in China (Thailand hardly produces anything but keyboards, hard drives and LCD TVs really) but imported and sold in Thailand and anywhere else in Southeast Asia. It just happened to be spotted in MBK, Bangkok.
You remember seeing that CNBC special a couple years ago "Made In China" where they visited some of the knock off manufactures. They used names like Panasoanic and Sonye. The Gucchii jeans were made in a guys apartment. He had a 5'x6' bedroom and the rest was manufacturing. It cost them something like $2 to make a pair of jeans and the guy guaranteed they were as good as the real thing. The owner was a former employee of the company that made them.
Not saying knockoffs are bad. 16 years ago when Coby first entered the US market I was working for an electronics distributor who was there main US distribution point. We had a hard time selling these items at first. I asked if we could send samples to certain key stores. After a month the orders started coming in faster and faster. What reseller could pass up an AM/FM Waterproof Cassette player with 2 pairs of headphones (over ear, in ear) for less than $3 that retailed and sold easily for $19.95. They looked identical to Sony products but the 5 year warranty was top notch, we just sent a replacement and never asked for the broken unit.
Comments
I saw this phone about a month ago at a shop in the Asian Garden Mall in Westminster, California. Anyone who tried it for more than 3 seconds would know it wasn't an Apple product.
It makes no difference that some can quickly tell it is a counterfeit. That does not change the fact that it is a counterfeit, albeit, a bad one. There are many people in developing nations who have never seen an Apple product. They would have no idea.
So many of these posts are off arguing about copyright laws, etc. Some are even poking fun at Apple about iPod knock-offs hitting the market before the real thing.
What none of these posts realize is that all of their blather is MOOT.
The knock offs don't violate copyright laws, and they didn't "beat Apple to the punch". Why? Because they are similar to the originals only at the most basic visual level (i.e. shape or color). When you turn them on, it is very clear that they are NOT iPods.
Yes, some of you will argue that even that level of similarity is enough to warrant a closer look at copyright violation. And you are probably correct. But let's make sure that people really understand what this debate is truly about.
These knock-offs don't come anywhere near the real deal. Same with iPhones and Macs. If you don't get that, then you haven't really used both the original AND the knock off. I've seen these wannabe Apple knock-offs. And they are laughable. If I were Apple, I wouldn't bother worrying about it.
Thompson
Even if it is easy to distinguish, I am pretty sure it is a trademark violation. I don't really know if copyrights are being violated here, they may well be, but trademarks are a little different. Using Apple's logo is one pretty clear one, and using the product name and typeface is another.
It is still a problem for Apple, particularly for potential customers that get these and think it's just as good when they've not used the real thing.
It makes no difference that some can quickly tell it is a counterfeit. That does not change the fact that it is a counterfeit, albeit, a bad one. There are many people in developing nations who have never seen an Apple product. They would have no idea.
My girlfriend is originally from Thailand and I've visited her family many times. The people there know way more about cellphones than your average American. I think the only people who might be confused are clueless Americans who stumble into a shop in Bangkok or Westminster. (And then they blog about it.)
btw, I live in Switzerland, not Sweden, just to make that clear before any of you nimrods mixes them up.
Where are all the Zune knock offs?
it must be my turn: What's a Zune?
FWIW,
Zeta
The other thing is that most of the law enforcements cannot do anything about it. For example, in Thailand, though bribery also exists, they cannot just arrest the sellers of the counterfeit goods just because it's considered a tort where if those IP owners don't sue them, then the police cannot do anything no matter how obvious it is. So these people can keep selling these things until Apple in Thailand decide to sue them.
And again, it's not about not respecting Western IP owners in particular. The makers of these knockoffs just don't care. Whether it's a local or Western, any brands, they would do it if they can produce it at a cheaper price.
At last, Taiwan = China = Hong Kong = Macau but Thailand is not China. These knockoff iPhones are produced in China (Thailand hardly produces anything but keyboards, hard drives and LCD TVs really) but imported and sold in Thailand and anywhere else in Southeast Asia. It just happened to be spotted in MBK, Bangkok.
So you think copying all visible features including the Apple logo does not constitute counterfeiting? You think these companies are not unlawfully using any of Apple's protected intellectual property? You think they are not trying to fool the uninformed into thinking they are buying an Apple product? You think these companies are not run by slime-balls and thieves? A post like yours cannot be taken seriously.
You might be right about one thing. I doubt any of it is copyright infringement in the country in question because I doubt that country has any such thing as copyright law.
Copyright infringement laws are treated as tort law, not criminal in some countries.
and why would there be knock-offs/counterfeits of the iphone nano if apple isn't gonna introduce one next month...!!! those people speculate on the need for sme people to buy a cheap device mimicking the original... to look cool for a fraction of the cost.. the iphone nano knock-off costs 2900 baht, ?60.00 or $80.00, compared to the real iphone pricing only a fraction of the cost...
it must be my turn: What's a Zune?
Is the Zune not one of those iPod ripoffs that you only get in the states???
I would think the Nano version would come with the same base OS but remove all but the basics, Phone, iPod, Contacts, Notes. Still I get back to the current iPhone's $199 price and wonder if a $99 version would make sense.. Or would a subsidized version at $0 make any sense.
The point of NO BUTTONS, ALL OS Integrated is that one device can be the end all be all device. Simply change the interface.
Is the Zune not one of those iPod ripoffs that you only get in the states???
About the counterfeit goods, it doesn't really matter where it is in Asia, they exist everywhere. Yes, including the very most developed cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. It's also not about the rule of law or anything. It's about producing something that people can afford. Though these Asian countries or cities are so technologically advanced, these things will still exist. One thing to really recognize about Asia is that income equality is still nowhere near the developed West.
The other thing is that most of the law enforcements cannot do anything about it. For example, in Thailand, though bribery also exists, they cannot just arrest the sellers of the counterfeit goods just because it's considered a tort where if those IP owners don't sue them, then the police cannot do anything no matter how obvious it is. So these people can keep selling these things until Apple in Thailand decide to sue them.
And again, it's not about not respecting Western IP owners in particular. The makers of these knockoffs just don't care. Whether it's a local or Western, any brands, they would do it if they can produce it at a cheaper price.
At last, Taiwan = China = Hong Kong = Macau but Thailand is not China. These knockoff iPhones are produced in China (Thailand hardly produces anything but keyboards, hard drives and LCD TVs really) but imported and sold in Thailand and anywhere else in Southeast Asia. It just happened to be spotted in MBK, Bangkok.
You remember seeing that CNBC special a couple years ago "Made In China" where they visited some of the knock off manufactures. They used names like Panasoanic and Sonye. The Gucchii jeans were made in a guys apartment. He had a 5'x6' bedroom and the rest was manufacturing. It cost them something like $2 to make a pair of jeans and the guy guaranteed they were as good as the real thing. The owner was a former employee of the company that made them.
Not saying knockoffs are bad. 16 years ago when Coby first entered the US market I was working for an electronics distributor who was there main US distribution point. We had a hard time selling these items at first. I asked if we could send samples to certain key stores. After a month the orders started coming in faster and faster. What reseller could pass up an AM/FM Waterproof Cassette player with 2 pairs of headphones (over ear, in ear) for less than $3 that retailed and sold easily for $19.95. They looked identical to Sony products but the 5 year warranty was top notch, we just sent a replacement and never asked for the broken unit.