Counterfeit iPhones in China

After writing the Proview vs. Apple blog, I came across the following article from Fobes:
China's Black Market Boom

As stated in the article, "regardless of the state of the global economy, one robust sector that adjusts as efficiently as any other in the world is the Chinese black market. Despite years of official rhetoric about cracking down on pirated products, the urge to make a quick buck through imitation remains so entrenched in China that it has matured into a celebrated culture of its own... Bandits supply these markets with phones that come with the superficial look and feel of brand-name handsets but at a fraction of the price. The posters for iPhone look-alikes invariably superimpose their product name on a screen shot of an actual iPhone, without bothering to change the cell signal in the upper left of the screen that reads 'AT&T 3G.' These smart phones sell for as little as $100, where a real name-brand version might sell for three to six times that much."

In light of the Apple v. Proview feud, critics of the case should be quick to note that this is not the first time Apple has had strained relations with the Chinese. Problems with a black market had occured before with the sale of counterfeit iPhones which could cause alarm for a greater chance of a sale of counterfeit iPads if the ban continues.