Fake iPhones seized by customs officials
Apple has confirmed that 87 suspicious iPhones seized by customs are fake. The company has asked the authority to detain the products, customs officials said yesterday.
The products are part of a batch claimed to be 501 second-hand iPhones to be exported to Hong Kong.
The suspect phones caught the attention of customs officer Peng Jian on July 21 during an inspection, as using a container to export second-hand mobile phones is a highly unusual practice.
Peng discovered the exporting company was not authorized by Apple. The authority informed Apple that the exporter was suspected of infringing intellectual property rights.
Intellectual property protection has become a key part of the customs’ officers training. From the beginning of this year, the authority has uncovered 16 cases of intellectual property infringement, involving a sum estimated at nearly 2 million yuan (US$300,000).
