Regular readers of Kitguru will already be aware of the ‘fake Apple store' which was found and subsequently closed in Kunming. In an update to the original story, it would appear that authorities in Kunming have identified another 22 unauthorised Apple retailers.

Apple will be pleased to hear that authorities have demanded that the stores stop using the Apple logo. This is partly due to pressure from Apple who have accused China of unfair competition and by using their trademark logo without authorisation.

The official Xinhua news agency reported that the market watchdog agency would set up a complaint hotline. While the original store that was closed was selling legitimate Apple goods, there are no reports yet detailing the stock status of the additional 22 illegally stores selling Apple branded products. Many unauthorised stores have been noted to smuggle in goods to escape paying taxes.

While China are way behind the Western countries in regards to intellectual property theft, this ruling is a good strong move to show they are trying to deal with illegal retail practices.

Kitguru says: China was listed for the seventh year in a row as having one of the worst records for preventing copyright theft (Source: U.S. Trade Representatives office).

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