China continues fake Apple Store takedowns

The discovery of two phoney Apple Stores in Kunming, China created international headlines last month, but further inspections by the authorities suggest that the two outlets were merely the tip of the iceberg.

Reuters has reported that 22 shops in Kunming are operating as Apple stores without permission from the company.

The original stores were selling genuine Apple products, but were fraudulently presented as genuine Apple Stores rather than authorised resellers. Reuters noted that the authorities have not stated whether the latest round of busted shops were selling genuine Apple products or fakes.

The story raises some interesting questions about Apple's retail expansion and how the brand is presented. Before the company began opening retail shops, authorised resellers often displayed a large Apple logo in the window or as part of the shop's sign.

However, as Apple has expanded its retail operation into international markets, a dillema has arisen as to how companies can display the Apple logo without appearing fraudulently to mimic an official store.

Additionally, the growth of Apple's brand and the cool reputation of Apple Stores was always going to tempt a lot of resellers into following suit and putting forward a similar image.

This does not justify the actions of the store owners in Kunming but, given the nature of the business, it is easy to see how less scrupulous merchants in regions where Apple has yet to establish its retail branches may look to take advantage of the brand and its reputation.