Gadgets and gizmos

Chinese authorities have arrested five people for selling fake iPhones, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Police officers said that those who were arrested were part of a group that purchase phone components from Guangdong in China, and assemble them in Shanghai. Around 200 fake iPhones were found during the raid on the apartments.

“The cost to make one fake iPhone, which used some genuine parts, was around 2,000 yuan ($313),” Reuters said in its report. “It was sold on unauthorised markets and on the Internet for around 4,000 yuan, only a few hundred yuan cheaper than the real iPhone, the newspaper said.”

These confiscated iPhones were reported to have the same functions as the real ones, but had a shorter battery life. A police officer said that it’s really hard to distinguish the genuine ones from the fake ones.

China has been widely criticized for its violation of IP rights, and lots of pirated items, such as copycat watches, bags and software, can be easily found and bought from stores across the nation. A number of copycat iPhones can also be found, such as the “hiPhone 5,” which are based on leaked models of the still unannounced iPhone 5. The pirated phones can be found in markets and on the internet.

Back in July, an American blogger reported the rise of fake Apple retail stores in the country that sells genuine iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices. Some of the fake stores have been closed down by authorities.

via: Geeky Gadgets