Apple's viagra team can't stop the Chinese pirates

Apple are struggling to curb the rampant piracy of their products in China, as unlicensed Apple stores continue to pop up up and down the country selling knock-off gear imitating the Cupertino kings.

Apple’s legal teams were already slow off the mark in tackling the problem, but have encountered further headaches as Chinese authorities fail to co-operate with their wishes to close down the fake shops and sellers.

Though a handful of shops have been shut for not having secured business permits, many remain open as they do still sell official Apple products too, just without permission. Furthermore, the fake Apple shops are bringing jobs and revenue to areas of China that are struggling economically, leading officials to turn a blind eye.

Apple have now employed the skills of drug manufacturer Pfizer. Though still struggling to make a dent in the Chinese fakes sales, Pfizer have a good track record for getting rid of dodgy products. They successfully curbed the sales of rip-off viagra pills in China and other Asian territories.

Whether or not Pfizer team will be able to change attitudes as well as sales practices remains to be seen however. Piracy and counterfeiting of western company’s products is seen as an inevitability in China; it’s the cost of cheap labour and efficient manufacturing processes, as workers at plants like Foxconn smuggle out plans and components to sell to pirates to make a little cash on the side.

Via: CNN