Taiwan cracking down on fake Chinese phones

The flood of copyright infringing Chinese clones entering the mobile market has been a bane on major cellphone manufacturers around the world. To date, the Chinese government has been largely hands-off on their flourishing counterfeit mobile phone market. Authorities in India have taken a stab at banning fake Chinese handsets, and it seems Taiwan is also taking matters into their own hands. The Taiwanese National Communications Commission has kicked off a new initiative that will fine anyone trying to bring Chinese counterfeit phones into the country. Any resident of Taiwan risks a fine of up to 300,000 Taiwanese dollars (about $9,055) for bringing in five or more “shanzai phones,” as they’re known to locals, into the country. Taiwan will also levy the fine against anyone importing more than two “shanzai” cellphones through mail.

Fake phones aren’t just an annoyance to big corporations looking to protect their trademarks. These counterfeit phones lack any of the tracking identification numbers that helps keep cellphones out of terrorist hands. “Shanzai” phones can’t be tracked and can’t be monitored, so they pose a serious security risk.

Taiwan’s stance on fake Chinese phones might not be as drastic as India’s, but it’s a step in the right direction. With a little luck, we’ll see more and more countries helping the cause and curtailing sales of Chinese counterfeit phones.

[Via: UnwiredView]