It would be better if they used real birds and pigs.

@Ernie H. This is just a platform to promote BIRD and SWINE flu. It’s all a conspiracy — but the food court should also have a Hot Dog on a Stick.

Good question! there are so many reasons that I could write an entire blogpost on it. But to be concisely put (from what I’ve read in the past):

China has only recently opened itself up to the West and even more recently allowed for private business and individual patent rights. After the Communist takeover, there was a total brain-drain as intellectuals and skilled workers went to Taiwan. Furthermore, China was closed-off from the west for so long that no new ideas could come in. Now suddenly during the mid-90s the government wants to enter the world stage and compete in technology or fashion, but there’s a whole generation that had been cut off. The young people have no one to learn from, no experience. That’s why China still hasn’t been able to design it’s own aircraft and other high level technology. It’s going to take a awhile to get the creative ball rolling.

There ARE uniquely China-created brands being made in other areas like fashion, food, etc, but only a few that are well known (i.e. Haier refrigerators, Tsingtao beer, Maotai wine). It takes a long take to establish a name brand, at least several decades, and most Chinese brands are just starting out.

So why continue to copy? As small business owners, people don’t want to set up a clothing or electronics shop with unknown brands that have no status. It’s much more profitable to carry fake but famous products to attract young people who want to be trendy but can’t afford the real thing.

The whole copying thing is also ingrained in the education system where it’s not viewed as unethical to copy another’s work. So overall, copying is entrench in the system, but I don’t think it’s much of a cultural thing. There needs to be a change in government policies and that takes time.

Yes, every business wants to get rich quickly and drive down costs, but not all countries have such rampant, blatant displays of intellectual property theft.

I’m not talking about why an individual business would be tempted to copy something to increase profits – that’s obvious. I’m more interested in understanding WHY there’s a general disregard for respecting intellectual property rights in China. Why does Chinese society have such a nonchalant attitude toward something that would be a major crime in another country? In my opinion, you have to take into account the historical perspective on innovation and private enterprise. The Chinese government turns a blind eye to these activities because it knows that it takes time for domestic brands to develop but GDP/economic growth shouldn’t stall in the meanwhile. Therefore, those fake apple stores have been allowed to exist in relative peace even though everyone knows which store is real/fake.

@xiaolei622 and the fake Apple stores probably have more direct access to “guanxi” to greasing the right palms than corporate marketing department does.

@cl Because the two Chinese guys who brought up the idea of innovation are so biased against their own people. Did you even read the post?