Business 'booming' for banned Apple products in Iran
Though Apple's products are banned from sale in Iran due to U.S. sanctions, unauthorized sales remain big business in the Middle Eastern country, according to a new profile.
Apple products illegally make their way through "underground trade routes in the Middle East and beyond," according to Reuters. Author Marcus George detailed in a story published on Friday how iPhones and iPads were once "rare and sought-after," but are now "de rigueur in Iran among those who can afford them."
Among the resellers included in the profile is "Iran Apple Center," which runs a website that looks extremely similar to Apple's official store. Citing a person familiar with the matter, George said that Apple has been attempting to shut that particular website down.
The report also features comments from Majid Tavassoli, owner of RadanMac, which is one of 100 estimated stores in Tehran that sell Apple products in spite of the U.S. embargo. Tavassoli characterized his business as "booming."
Apple products are said to be so readily available in Iran that devices can often be found at prices not much higher than they sell for in the U.S.
American companies like Apple are barred by the U.S. government from selling products in Iran without special authorization. The goal is to curb the nation's nuclear program, particularly by hurting Iran's banks and oil industry, which are suspected of assisting in the development of nuclear weapons.
Friday's report isn't the first time this week Apple has been linked to Iran in the media. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook also made a surprise appearance at Allen & Co's annual media retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho, to sit in on a session entitled "Iran vs. Israel."
Apple products illegally make their way through "underground trade routes in the Middle East and beyond," according to Reuters. Author Marcus George detailed in a story published on Friday how iPhones and iPads were once "rare and sought-after," but are now "de rigueur in Iran among those who can afford them."
Among the resellers included in the profile is "Iran Apple Center," which runs a website that looks extremely similar to Apple's official store. Citing a person familiar with the matter, George said that Apple has been attempting to shut that particular website down.
The report also features comments from Majid Tavassoli, owner of RadanMac, which is one of 100 estimated stores in Tehran that sell Apple products in spite of the U.S. embargo. Tavassoli characterized his business as "booming."
Apple products are said to be so readily available in Iran that devices can often be found at prices not much higher than they sell for in the U.S.
American companies like Apple are barred by the U.S. government from selling products in Iran without special authorization. The goal is to curb the nation's nuclear program, particularly by hurting Iran's banks and oil industry, which are suspected of assisting in the development of nuclear weapons.
Friday's report isn't the first time this week Apple has been linked to Iran in the media. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook also made a surprise appearance at Allen & Co's annual media retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho, to sit in on a session entitled "Iran vs. Israel."
Comments
And now we'll see a rash of articles on this whole Apple Iran business thanks to the alleged racism which comes from one incident where the victim keeps changing her story and about 20 more that cant be proven they were ever in an Apple store much less that things went as they claim (but weren't upset enough to talk about it until after this first case hit the press)
Agree or disagree it gets page hits and media attention. That's all it needs to be for many folks
Meanwhile, I don't see this as all bad. At least it shows the general inhabitants of Iran are not being swayed into believing all things American are evil by the religious nut jobs at the helm.
Launch nuclear bombs with a single tap?
There's an app for that.
As soon as the Sharia was
Outta their hair
The jet pilots wailed
.....
He thinks it's not kosher
Fundamentally he can't take it
You know he really hates it[/QUOTE]
Not funny. Nuclear weapons are not a laughing matter, as the Americans have demonstrated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveGee
Quote:
As soon as the Sharia was
Outta their hair
The jet pilots wailed
The in crowd say it's cool!
The US do not allow exporting to the Iran. That is something completely different, and really no story whatsoever. Iran buys weapons, nuclear materials, construction plans for nuclear submarines and other niceties despite that not being possible. Actually, the US-Iran trade volume went up over 800% starting the very moment Mr. Bush Jr. declared a total embargo. So, how is Apple the story here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Seems that Apple is the one thing on which the whole world can agree.
LOL, except for about a third of the posters at tech media sites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Apple products illegally make their way through "underground trade routes in the Middle East and beyond," according to Reuters.
The original article has some other interesting information about how they access iTunes. Not so sure about the 'underground' routes as the quotes from the Apple sellers in the article mention ordering direct from Hong Kong and Malaysia as well Turkey and Dubai
These 'underground routes' may come into play when people try to avoid import taxes, they are absolutely not needed to bring Apple products into the country. There are plenty of countries internationally that do not honour US embargoes (and Apple has no way to control sales beyond the first delivery point).
Quote:
Originally Posted by dreyfus2
These 'underground routes' may come into play when people try to avoid import taxes, they are absolutely not needed to bring Apple products into the country.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dreyfus2
This headline and article are a bit misleading. Iran has not banned Apple products, and nobody except for the Iranian government can ban sales in the own country.
Apple products are not banned by the the Iran government and can be sold openly however not so with the evil Barbie doll. Those definitely take the underground route and are sold only on the black market as they are banned in Iran.
Haha! If there has ever been one ban I can happily agree with, then you certainly just found it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Seems that Apple is the one thing on which the whole world can agree.
Nah, I reckon water and air are more widely agreed upon.
deleted
Water is fought over. And air is fought for.
A barbie doll with tattoos. Never knew. I've been out of the loop longer than I thought!
Infidels!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook also made a surprise appearance at Allen & Co's annual media retreat
Not that much of a surprise it seems. Apparently he was on the attendee list from the start.