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China suspends fake Apple stores, more found worldwide

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This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Chinese government is taking a bite out of the fake Apple stores operating in Kunming city that were exposed by an intrepid American blogger living in China known as BirdAbroad.

Two of the five fake Apple stores in that city have been ordered by government officials to suspend all business while they’re investigated for selling knockoff products, according to the Associated Press.

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The government investigation into the fake Apple stores comes in response to an international media frenzy kicked off by BirdAbroad, who not only detailed one such store on her blog in photos and writing, but also later in video, too.

But with just two stores temporarily (at least) shut down, that still leaves three other fake Apple stores that are up and running in Kunming.

The reason the government says it can’t suspend those stores from operating is because, while they all ‘prominently displayed Apple signs and logos,’ they didn’t have any fake Apple products for sale.

According to the AP, after BirdAbroad’s blog on the fake Apple stores hit the Web, the Kunming Trade and Industry Bureau inspected more than 300 consumer electronics stores in the city and found just the five fake Apple stores.

But this story, it seems, is far from over. BirdAbroad’s readers have sent her photos from allegedly fake Apple stores from around the world -- ‘from Croatia to Colombia, Burma to Venezuela, Slovenia to Spain, and in a dozen locations right here in China,’ the blogger said in a Saturday post.

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-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Twitter.com/nateog

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