In According to report published in a local paper, cops in Chinese city of Shanghai have arrested five people for making and selling fake versions of Apple Inc's iPhone. Those arrested are reported to be a part of an organized gang that bought components for the phones from Guangdong in southern China and assembled them in rented apartments in Shanghai.
About 200 fake iPhones were found during the crackdown.
Even the fake iPhone used some genuine parts, and its cost of manufacture was around 2,000 yuan ($313). The device was then sold on unauthorized markets and on the Internet for around 4,000 yuan, only a few hundred yuan cheaper than the real iPhone, the newspaper reported.
The functions in the fake iPhones were almost the same as in the real ones; the major point of difference is that the fake iPhones have a much shorter battery life. It is difficult for normal users to distinguish between the real and fake.
It is quite normal for pirated goods from branded watches to computer software and electronic items to be sold in Chinese shops. The country has often been criticized for widespread violation of intellectual property rights. Various pirated versions of iPhones can also be easily found. 'hiPhone 5' phones, which are based on leaked images of the yet-to-be-launched iPhone 5, are being sold in markets and on the Internet.
Only recently, an American blogger had set off a media storm after she posted pictures of an elaborate fake Apple Store in Kunming, selling genuine if unauthorized iPhones, Macbooks and other widely popular Apple products.
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