Chinese Counterfeits, Fakes & Knock-Offs

[GeneChing]

I wonder what their slurpees are like...

Fake 7-Elevens across Asia: you can hide, but we’re on to you
Krista Rogers 11 hours ago



Take a quick look at the picture above. Notice anything strange? Perceptive readers may have spotted something out-of-place right away. If you didn’t, well, no worries, but you’ll probably want to facepalm yourself when you take a second look.

Like this Chinese “7-Twelve,” there are a number of fake, localized versions of popular convenience store 7-Eleven scattered throughout the Asian continent. They may think they can slip through the cracks, but perhaps it’s only a matter of time before a lawyer comes knocking at their doors. We have to hand it to them, though–they score high on creativity for coming up with some amusing names.

Let’s take a look at some photographic evidence of the various 7-Eleven wannabes out there.

Japan

You may not have guessed it, but our first offender is actually from none other than Japan! Err, was, that is–this particular store is no longer in business.

“7-Mercy” apparently opened during the latter years of the Showa Era (1926-1989) somewhere in Miyagi Prefecture. We certainly did a double take the first time we glanced at the store’s logo:


Pds exblog

Ironically, there’s now a real 7-Eleven located right across the street:


Tabitsubo

China

Moving on to China, we’re once again almost, but not quite, fooled by the familiar-looking red and green logo. Perhaps someone was trying to make a statement by one-upping the number eleven? At least they spelled it right…


Twitter (@livein_china)

Here we’ve got the presumably less-convenient “9-One.” We wonder what the significance of the numbers “nine” and “one” is…


Blogimg goo

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Vietnam

If you travel further south in Asia, you can find a mini-mart in the guise of “7-Days.”


Norinpop

Cambodia

Does the name “7-Bright” suggest that it’s only open when there’s still light outside? Or that the shop workers will greet you with bright smiles? Perhaps only intelligent people can shop here…


Aicoaico

Nepal (Pokhara)

Although the sign reads “7-Eleven,” the merchandise being sold there appears to be fitting only for some kind of school festival.


Bengal-hime

Here’s a new one–how would you like to waste the night away at the “7-Eleven Dance Bar”?


Sekai Tsunagaru (junjun2310)

South Korea (Dongdaemun district, Seoul)

Finally, we have this “7-Seven” mart located in a popular Korean tourist area. While lacking the chain’s distinctive red and green stripes, the design of the numeral “7” still comes a little too close to the real thing.


Sky geocities

Has anyone seen any other fake 7-Elevens out there during their travels around the globe? We’re sure there’s a whole slew of counterfeit shops for other popular chains, such as McDonald’s and Starbucks, as well. Feel free to share your observations in the comments section below!

Sources: Naver Matome; H/T Kotaku USA
Top image: Twitter (@livein_China)

11 pix - 1 more than our max per post and I wanted to include them all.

[GeneChing]

Chinese counterfeit caviar among tonnes of fake food and drink seized by Interpol
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 17 February, 2015, 11:16am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 17 February, 2015, 6:18pm
Agence France-Presse in Paris


A sample of fake Chinese caviar seized during an earlier raid in Spain by Interpol in 2012. The latest haul of Chinese counterfeit caviar was made in France. Photo: Interpol

A global police crackdown on counterfeit produce has netted thousands of tonnes of fake food and drink, including Chinese imitation caviar, Interpol said.

Operation Opson 4 was run by Interpol and its EU sister agency Europol in 47 countries during December and January, 20 of them within the European Union.

Some 2,500 tonnes of fake and substandard food and more than 275,000 litres of fake or diluted alcohol were confiscated.

The haul included 20,000 litres of fake whisky in Thailand, false malt in Uganda and fake beer in Rwanda. In Britain, police shut down an imitation vodka factory, where nearly 20,000 empty bottles were ready to be filled, Lyon-based Interpol said Monday.

French customs uncovered dubious Chinese “caviar” in boxes marked “Aquitaine caviar” after one of France’s most famous seafood-producing regions, as well as 17 tonnes of krill meat hidden in containers in the Channel port of Le Havre.

In Italy, the carabinieri busted a mozzarella trafficking ring in the southern Salerno region that made the famous cheese from sour milk produced in Eastern Europe.

In Tuscany, police discovered defrosted rotten fish and shellfish sprayed with a mix of citric acid, phosphate and hydrogen to mask its decay.

The two-month-long swoop targeted shops, markets, airports, harbours and industrial zones and involved police and customs officers as well as public and private consumer watchdogs.

The cross-border syndicates preyed mainly on alcoholic beverages, seafood and meat, Interpol said.

“Fake and substandard food and diluted, poor quality beverages are a real health and safety threat,” said Mike Ellis, who heads the Interpol unit that tracks the trafficking of illicit goods.

“People take significant risks and sometimes die because of criminals’ greed,” he said.

Colonel Bruno Manin, head of the French police’s unit involved in Opson 4, said it was best to avoid luxury products offered at bargain-basement prices.

“When a high-end product is offered at three to four times cheaper than in the shop it’s better to resist the lure,” Manin warned.

Trafficking in fake food and drink appeals to criminals as it produces hefty profits and poses a low risk, especially when the deal is done online.

“The Internet is definitely a strong accelerator for these crimes,” as it makes it difficult to track fraudsters perpetrating these crimes, Manin said.

Chinese counterfeit caviar - that's a great name for something. It's too long for a band name or for my next dubstep DJ name, but it's still a great name.

[GeneChing]

Our publisher, Gigi Oh, and Tiger Claw President, Jonny Oh, are returning from China today. Man, had I thought ahead, I should have asked them to get one of these for me. I'd just want a super cheap one, one that copies the look and not any of the functions, except for telling the time like a real watch.

Of course fake Apple Watches are already on sale in China



Less than 24 hours after Apple formally unveiled its new Apple Watch, knockoff versions have already been sighted at electronic markets in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

According to CNN Money, the fakes were found at the Huaqiangbei electronics market in Shenzhen, with others being sold nationwide via e-commerce websites such as Taobao. Those at the market mimic the design and style of Apple's new offering, selling for between 250 yuan and 500 yuan, but online it is possible to find models selling at various different price points.


The watches, given names such as D-Watch and Ai Watch, appear to sport icons similar to the ones on the home screen of the Apple Watch, but are in fact running a modified version of the Android operating system. Laurent Le Pen, founder and CEO of Shenzhen-based smartwatch maker Omate, told CNN: "These guys are specialists. The speed at which they can bring copies to the market is amazing."

It is unlikely that the Chinese consumer will be fooled by the watches, given that the cheapest sports model will sell for 2,588 yuan ($410), which compares unfavorably with the US price of $349. At the high end, the most expensive watch will retail in China for 126,800 yuan ($20,240), much more costly than its US counterpart which retails for $17,000.

Even though the Chinese are absolutely crazy about Apple, it remains to be seen whether or not the Apple Watch will be a hit. In comments made to Customs Today, Huang Hongwen, a freelancer from Shanghai says: "It's almost impossible to send WeChat messages when staring at such a small screen. I'd rather buy a traditional luxury watch at the same price."

Apple was recently at the center of controversy after a BBC documentary revealed the abysmal working conditions endured by Chinese laborers working for the company at factories on the outskirts of Shanghai.

By Dominic Jackson

Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Shanghaiist in News on Mar 11, 2015 4:00 PM

[GeneChing]

....chocolate snach!

China attempts to rip-off Japanese Koala's March cookies...and fails



A Chinese company has attempted to create a knock-off version of the popular Japanese snack Koala's March, however, poor attention to detail shows an embarrassing effort on its behalf.

Koala No March cookies, known internationally as Koala's March cookies, are a bite-sized snack imprinted with images of lovable koalas and filled with a flavoured centre.

China decided to join Korea and jump on the bandwagon of copying Japanese snacks with its own version of the Koala cookies.

Instead of copying and tweaking the original Japanese slogan, however, manufacturers in China decided to just kind of wing it, resulting in utterly "nonsensical" Japanese writing on the packaging, Rocket News 24 points out.

The original product from Japan can be seen below:



Compared to the Chinese knock off version:



Whilst the Chinese version has managed to copy the shape and color scheme of the packet directly, the Japanese writing on the packet makes little sense. Rocket News explains that the red writing in Japanese presumably means to copy the Japanese words "bisuketto" (biscuit), yet, instead it reads "jisuketto" (jiscuit). More careless writing below that reads "kodomo no rakuen ni seppun suru", translated as "kiss in the children's paradise".

The look on this knock-off koala's face about sums it up.



Chocolate Snach anyone?

By Freya Twigden
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Shanghaiist in News on Apr 27, 2015 6:30 PM

[GeneChing]

unbelievable!

Posted : 2011-01-20 17:58
Updated : 2011-01-20 17:58
Chinese fake rice is on shelves

China famous for having all, making all, has now been reported to have made rice out of plastic and has distributed it.

The Korean-language Weekly Hong Kong in Hong Kong quoted Singapore media that “Fake rice made out of plastic is massively sold on the Chinese market.”

According to the report, some distributors are selling fake rice in Taiyuan, Shaanxi Province, and this rice is a mixture of potatoes, sweet potatoes and plastic.

“This ‘plastic rice’ is made by forming potatoes and sweet potatoes into rice-like shape, then adding industrial synthetic resins,” said a food expert. “Since the rice is different from normal rice, it is hard like stone even when cooked. Moreover, the synthetic resin in it is very harmful to the human body.”

One Chinese restaurant association official warns that eating three bowls of ‘plastic rice’ is the same as eating one vinyl bag. He added that since the rice is very dangerous there would be strict investigation on the rice factory.

In the mean time, merchants say that as the fake rice can leave huge profits, it is still sold in mass quantity.

This is not the first time for fake rice e sold in China. A Chinese television report has alleged that a company in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, has been producing a fake version of high-quality "Wuchang rice" by adding flavoring to ordinary rice.

[GeneChing]

This isn't quite a counterfeit. It's a Chinese version of a Japanese pop girl band, an authorized Chinese translation, if you will. If you don't know Japan's AKB48, China's SNH48 might be a little confusing.

[GeneChing]

This is a truly mind boggling con, the stuff of Hollywood movies...or classics of Chinese literature apparently.

Chinese man builds fake police station in flat and poses as cop in elaborate con

In a money-making venture, a Wuhan man called himself inspector Lei, established a fake interrogation room and even had a siren for his car


The fake inspector Lei passed himself off as a policeman for at least two years. Here, real Chinese policemen practice controlling drones after a ceremony marking the setting up of a drone squad. Photograph: AP

Tom Phillips in Beijing

Monday 20 July 2015 03.29 EDT
Last modified on Monday 20 July 2015 08.06 EDT

With his collection of handcuffs and the siren on his car, inspector Lei looked every bit the Chinese policeman.

His wardrobe was filled with the black blazers of a crime-busting bobby and his office contained an armory of stun guns for subduing the outlaws he claimed to hunt.

But inspector Lei was not all he seemed.

When police raided his home in the city of Wuhan last week – acting on a tip-off from his disgruntled girlfriend – they found a fake police station that had been meticulously crafted by the fraudster cop.

Photographs published in a local newspaper showed a bust of Mao Zedong and a Chinese flag adorning the conman’s imitation interrogation room.

“With his disguise he was very deceptive,” Tang Hui, the real-life cop tasked with investigating the impersonator, was quoted as saying.

Lei reportedly used his alter ego as a moneymaking ruse. For at least two years, he sold falsified Public Security Bureau documents and warrants from his phony precinct.

Smelling a rat, friends of the fake officer’s girlfriend tried to warn her that her partner was bad news.

“Your boyfriend is not reliable,” one friend told her, according to the Chutian Metropolis Daily newspaper. “He always flirts with us online and is a total scoundrel.”

But Lei’s acting skills were apparently so convincing that those words of caution fell on deaf ears until last week when the woman – named only as Tingting – threatened to leave him.

Enraged, the counterfeit inspector vowed to post online a video of the couple having sex. Her response was to seek out a genuine officer of the law. Lei’s cover was blown.

During a search of his home-cum-interrogation centre, security officials uncovered a cache of forged documents, a GPS tracking device and a miniature surveillance camera, according to the newspaper report.

They also found a copy of The Story of the Stone, a classic work of 18th century Chinese literature that opens in a place known as the Land of Illusion.

“Truth becomes fiction when the fiction’s true,” the book’s opening line reads. “Real becomes not-real where the unreal’s real.”

Additional reporting by Luna Lin

[GeneChing]

Wow. They even faked the fakes.

College librarian in China admits he replaced art with fakes
Associated Press By LOUISE WATT
July 21, 2015 6:28 AM

BEIJING (AP) — A former chief librarian at a Chinese university admitted in court Tuesday to stealing more than 140 paintings by grandmasters in a gallery under his watch and replacing them with fakes he painted himself.

For two years up until 2006, Xiao Yuan substituted famous works including landscapes and calligraphies in a gallery within the library of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.

He told the court in his defense that the practice appeared to be rampant and the handling of such paintings was not secure. He said he noticed fakes already hanging in the gallery on his first day on the job. Later, after he replaced some of the remaining masters with his own fakes, he was surprised when he noticed his fake paintings were being substituted with even more fakes.

"I realized someone else had replaced my paintings with their own because I could clearly discern that their works were terribly bad," Xiao, 57, told Guangzhou People's Intermediate Court, which posted a video of the two-hour hearing on its website.

Xiao said that he didn't know who had replaced his fakes, but that students and professors could take out paintings in the same way as they could borrow library books.

Xiao sold 125 of the paintings at auction between 2004 and 2011 for more than 34 million yuan ($6 million), and used the money to buy apartments and other paintings. The 18 others he stole are estimated to be worth more than 70 million yuan ($11 million), according to prosecutors.

Xiao pleaded guilty to a corruption charge for substituting the 143 paintings, and said that he deeply regretted his crime.

The stolen works mentioned in the court transcript included paintings by influential 20th century artists Qi Baishi, who used watercolors, and Zhang Daqian, who depicted landscapes and lotuses. Zhang himself was considered a master forger.

Also removed was "Rock and Birds" by Zhu Da, a painter and calligrapher who lived during the 17th century and used ink monochrome.

Xiao said he stopped his stealing when the paintings were moved to another gallery. He was the university's chief librarian until 2010, and his crimes came to light when an employee discovered what had happened and went to the police.

Calls seeking comment from the university were not answered.

Xiao will be sentenced later.

[GeneChing]

Taylor Swift Counters Knockoffs in China
In an effort to thwart counterfeiters, singer to sell branded clothing with JD.com, Alibaba
Taylor Swift has battled Apple music and had dust-ups with Nicki Minaj on Twitter. Now she’s taking on counterfeiters in China. Photo: Getty
By Laurie Burkitt and Alyssa Abkowitz
Updated July 21, 2015 7:32 p.m. ET

Taylor Swift is the latest to take on counterfeiting in China.

As the American pop star’s popularity in China has exploded, so has a huge market of unauthorized Taylor Swift products, with e-commerce peddlers selling everything from fake perfume to pirated autographed guitars.

In an attempt to get rid of them, Ms. Swift is launching her own Taylor Swift-branded clothing with China’s two biggest e-commerce players, JD.com Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Her strategy is to use her star status to get them to stop selling products that don’t have rights to use her name, according to Heritage66Company, a Nashville-based branding company that is representing Ms. Swift and bringing her line to China.

Starting Aug. 8, JD.com and Alibaba’s Tmall marketplace site will carry Taylor Swift-branded $60 designer T-shirts, said Kate Liegey, chief operating officer of Heritage66. In September, she said, the singer will launch a women’s collection exclusively on JD.com, with clothing priced from $100 to $120. All products will have antipiracy hanging tags that enable customers to track their authenticity on the Web and offer an alternative to the plethora of fake Taylor Swift products available online, said Ms. Liegey.

Ms. Swift’s push comes ahead of her “1989” tour’s November dates in Shanghai. She joins an increasingly crowded bandwagon of U.S. companies and trade groups pushing China’s e-commerce players to halt the rampant selling of knockoffs. The American Apparel & Footwear Association, a trade group representing clothing makers, issued an open letter to the chairman of Alibaba last week, complaining about a lack of progress combating fake goods on its site.

Ms. Liegey said she has been working with JD.com and Alibaba to remove unauthorized goods from their sites. “It’s time for Chinese companies to say, ‘We don’t want to be known for piracy anymore,’” she said.

She said that she chose to work with JD.com because the site was responsive in addressing complaints about fakes. A spokesman for JD.com, Josh Gartner, said it investigated and removed problematic items at Heritage66’s request. “They understood where they would have guarantees of authenticity,” he said of the pact with the singer.

A spokeswoman for Alibaba said the company is “dedicated to the fight against counterfeits” and that it will work with Ms. Swift’s representatives to “protect her intellectual property rights as well as the rights of all stakeholders.”

Fakes are proving to be a tough war to win in China, where companies—from software to movies and luxury handbags—have long fought for intellectual property rights.

Ms. Swift will have to work hard to gain control of her brand, according to Benjamin Bai, a partner in the Shanghai office of law firm Allen & Overy LLP. Currently, there are nine trademarks in China registered under the name Taylor Swift, three of which are owned by individuals other than Ms. Swift, according to documents provided by Mr. Bai. Items that fall under trademarks not owned by her include purses, infant onesies, bathing suits, shoes and hats.
Advertisement

Mr. Bai said trademark disputes are difficult to win in China, because the law is based on who files first, regardless of celebrity. If Ms. Swift were to launch branded bathing suits, Mr. Bai said, she would be infringing on someone else’s trademark under Chinese law.

“So even though you may be internationally famous if I’m the owner of your name in China you can’t get me,” Mr. Bai said.

Ms. Liegey said Ms. Swift is working with lawyers to recoup her trademarks.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan in 2012 sued sportswear company Qiaodan Sports, saying it built its business around his Chinese name, “Qiaodan.” In May, Mr. Jordan’s lawyers said they would appeal to the Supreme People’s Court after a lower court ruled in favor of the Chinese company.

On Taobao—an Alibaba platform that connects mostly small vendors with individual buyers—some sellers have sold millions of dollars in Taylor Swift goods in recent years, said Mark McDonald, chief executive of Heritage66.

Shoppers on Taobao can buy fake Taylor Swift Keds sneakers for as little as 65 yuan (about $11), Taylor Swift-branded watches and cellphone covers for around $10, and pollution masks with Ms. Swift’s picture on them for about $1.30.

Ms. Swift, known best for climbing the charts in country and pop music, is no stranger to disrupting industries and pushing big companies to change their sales tactics. She grabbed headlines recently for her public protest against Apple Inc.’s music-streaming service, objecting publicly to its decision not to pay royalties to artists in their three-month trial of Apple Music. Apple backed off that plan in response.

She also has shown to have leverage in China. Last year, the country’s top streaming platforms removed Ms. Swift’s music from any free components of their services after her agents sent removal requests on her behalf.

Heritage66, which works with country-music artist Keith Urban and other stars, approached Ms. Swift last year after estimating a total financial figure of unauthorized products tied to her brand. “We could see how much people sold on the site and it was a daunting number,” said Mr. McDonald, who declined to disclose precise financial estimates.

With most people in China not paying to download music, a fashion line is one of the ways Ms. Swift can make money with her brand in the country. Ms. Liegey said she believes Chinese consumers will pay $100-$120 for a Taylor Swift dress.

The China move isn’t Ms. Swift’s first clothing line. In 2009, the megastar launched a sundress collection, linking up with Jones Group’s L.E.I. brand that was sold exclusively at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Ms. Swift also struck a deal in 2013 with shoe brand Keds selling a collection of canvas sneakers inspired by her style. Earlier this year, the company rolled out shoes that feature the city names on each of her “1989” concert tour stops.

—Gillian Wong contributed to this article.

Fakers gonna fake.

[GeneChing]

Surge in use of China-made 'fake weed' reported in US



Authorities in the US have reported a "dramatic surge" in overdoses and drug-related offenses involving synthetic marijuana, an inexpensive substance which is made of chemical ingredients and imported mainly from China.

Poison control centers have received more than 5,200 calls this year related to fake weed—also known as K2, Spice, Scooby Snax, etc.—up from the 3,680 calls handled all through last year, the Associated Press reports, citing the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Synthesized marijuana may look like your typical greenery, but in some cases it can be "up to 100 times as potent as THC", the active ingredient in real weed.

Chemical compounds meant to mimic THC are sprayed onto herbs and sold in small ziplock bags, some of which are decorated with delightful cartoon characters and read "not for human consumption".

The chemicals vary from package to package, are addictive and can trigger horrible side-effects, including "extreme anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks, alienation/disassociation, psychotic episodes and hallucinations," according to AP.

While the fake weed can sometimes be sold under the counter at stores in the US, it can most easily be purchased online.

Last week, US police arrested a 38-year-old woman accused of importing synthetic marijuana from a source in China through the mail after a raid at her home.

By Katie Nelson in News on Aug 17, 2015 11:30 AM

Californians scoff at the idea of fake weed.

[PalmStriker]

LOL! Didn't get that right away." Fakers gonna fake. "

[GeneChing]

Another fake bank discovered in China, inability to withdraw money dead give-away

Master Blaster
2 days ago



In less than half a year since a counterfeit bank was discovered in Nanjing, China, the founder of another fake bank has been arrested in Shandong Province. Although not quite as sinister as the previous unlicensed money lenders, this suspected fraudster seemed not so much evil as just stubbornly convinced that he could run a financial institution despite not knowing certain core concepts of banking such as allowing your customers to withdraw money from their accounts.

According to police, China Construction Bank was established by its president, a man by the name of Zhang, with the goal of providing loans to small business in the area. Up until this point the closest thing Zhang had to banking experience was running a furniture store. In spite of this, he was able to set up a fairly well equipped branch in Linyi City, but unfortunately was unable to pass the government inspection that would allow him to become a legal bank.

Having already come this far, Zhang decided to open his China Construction Bank for business anyway. By the middle of July it had gathered about 40,000 yuan (US$6,000) in deposits mostly thanks to its convincing appearance, which included anti-counterfeit warning signs for customers.

No one had any idea the bank was not legitimate until requests for withdrawals began coming in. After being refused access to their cash several times, ‘customers’ began filing reports with the police, who opened an investigation into the bank.



On 14 August, Zhang was taken into custody. The extent of charges against him is unclear as an investigation is underway, but it will probably go down as various forms of fraud. Still, this kind of crime is so bold and increasingly common there really should be a whole new name for it, in our opinion, something like “malensconcement”.

Source: News 163 (Chinese), Yahoo! News Japan via Toychan (Japanese)
Video & Top Image: YouTube – Sina Premium

This is just insane. How did they think that they wouldn't get caught?

[GeneChing]

Look: Copycat version of Arc de Triomphe built in Zhengzhou



China has gone and built itself another knockoff of the Arc de Triomphe, this time in Zhengzhou, Henan province.

Most everyone is familiar with the world famous triumphal arc which stands in the center of Paris' Place Charles de Gaulle. China is really familiar with it, because it now has a few of its own, including a replica in Jiangsu's Huaxi Village, one in Shenyang and another in Zhejiang's largely abandoned 'little Paris', which features other imitation tourist sites such as the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower.

Now, Zhengzhou has rolled out its own version of the architectural marvel. The 20-meter-tall structure was recently photographed in a less-than-bustling square located near a city market and bears an undeniable resemblance to the original in Paris, as China News points out.



China's flagrant plagiarism of world landmarks is well documented. Recently, the artist behind Chicago's famous 'Bean' sculpture threatened to take legal action against the unnamed creator of a lookalike version in Xinjiang that recently made headlines.



Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Katie Nelson in News on Aug 25, 2015 3:00 PM

I was just at the Bean in July. The Chicago Bean, not the Xinjiang one...

[David Jamieson]

http://www.rt.com/business/313613-fa...n-sachs-china/

Oh man!