Apple takes legal action against fake retail stores
In July, counterfeit Apple Stores garnered a lot of media attention as several popped up around China. The Chinese government stepped in and shut down a few of them, but the problem exists stateside as well.
Thus, Apple is taking legal action against the fraudulent retail locations -- at least those in the United States.
AppleInsider reports that the Cupertino, Calif.-based corporation has filed a trademark (not patent!) infringement suit against at least 50 John Does and unnamed businesses at the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York.
As the lawsuit is reportedly remains hidden away from the public eye under a court seal, there aren't many financial specifics nor names of the defendants.
However, AppleInsider has pointed out a number of defendants on its own, which have some almost funny names, including Fun Zone Inc. and Apple Story.
Based on the photo of the Queens, N.Y. storefront and the silly name, who would actually think Apple Story is authentic? At least at the fake locations in China, the employees made a real effort to look like official Apple Store salespeople and the interiors looked rather similar to the traditional Apple Store.
Nevertheless, there are a lot of uninformed consumers out there who could potentially believe anything.
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