Some have attributed the success of Apple in China to the difficulty in pirating their products, which makes them all the more desirable among Chinese consumers. Yet diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks show that Apple has fought a tough battle against piracy in China. From PC Magazine:
The WikiLeaks cables detail Apple’s early plans for taking on counterfeiters, which included first taking on street vendors and retailers, then going after factories, from which parts for Apple products are often swiped to build fake gadgets. In the last prong of the battle plan, Apple would reportedly target online retailers.
The cable reflects Apple’s typical clandestine modus operandi. “Low-profile raids are a good option for Apple, a company that wants to stay away from too much publicity surrounding this issue,” the cable said.
Not surprisingly, Apple reps did not respond to questions on the matter.
Reuters recently reported that because Apple gadgets have become status symbols in China, the problem of piracy has only been exacerbated. This WikiLeaks release shows that Apple has been fighting a losing battle against piracy for quite a while, and despite Apple’s efforts, the problem prevails.
Meanwhile, netizens in China are continuing to pay tribute to Apple founder Steve Jobs after his announced resignation.
