Meet The Top 10 Chinese Knockoffs

While the NY Times picks on a small apparel company over the logo of a dead newspaper and the National Pork Board wants you to know that Unicorn is not the other white meat, countless companies in China are actually infringing on trademarks, often with hilarious results.

That’s why Time.com put together their list of the Top 10 Chinese Knockoffs:

1. HiPhone and APhone A6: One of the earliest iPhone clones, the HiPhone was being sold for as little as $100. But as Wired put it, the HiPhone earned it’s name because “you’d have to be high to actually buy it.”

2. iPed: This iPad knockoff might have a smaller screen but it does have things the pricier device doesn’t: camera, USB port and expandable memory slot.

3. Goojje: Launched in January when Google threatened to leave China, this knockoff search engine has received a cease-and-desist from Google. Alas, Goojje has neither ceased nor desisted.

4. Nat Nat Shoes: These sneakers look a lot like Converse Chuck Taylors, but with an addition Converse had never considered — a zipper around the sole of the shoe that opens up to convert the hi-top to a sandal!

5. Shanzhai Street: In Nanjing, China, there’s an entire street of knockoff eateries. You can dine at Pizza Huh, or KFG, grab a coffee at Bucksstar and the polish it all off with some Haagon Bozs ice cream.

6. China’s U.S. Landmarks: Time called this category “China’s White Houses,” but it’s a lot more than just the White House replica — complete with oval office and gallery of U.S. presidents — in Hangzhou. There’s also the miniature Washington Monument and Mount Rusmore. And don’t forget the Capitol replicas in Wuxi and Fuyang.

7. China’s Next Top Model: There’s no Tyra Banks here, but there are plenty of attractive Chinese women attempting to outpose each other on this knockoff show. There are also two knockoffs of American Idol called Super Boy and Super Girl. And a wannabe Project Runway whose title roughly translates into Magical Talented Designers.

8. Shanghai’s World Expo Song: To promote the country’s 2010 World Expo, a host of popular Chinese stars, including Jackie Chan and Yao Ming, joined voices for a tune with the catchy title of “2010, We Are Waiting For You.” Unfortunately, the song was apparently a knockoff of a Japanese song by Mayo Okamoto.

9. China’s Fine Art Factory: Much like Florence in the Italian Renaissance, the small Chinese village of Dafen is producing masterpiece after masterpiece on canvas. Except these are just reproductions of masterpieces by anyone from Picasso to Da Vinci to Van Gogh. Dafen is responsible for 60% of the world’s oil painting market. So that’s where they get all those paintings for the expos at the Airport Hilton…

10. Huanhai Landscape VA3 and Lifan 320: Is that a Lexus RX? Nope, that’s a Huanhai Landscape VA3. And s that a MINI Cooper? No, it’s a Lifan 320. But like many of the knockoffs on this list, the Lifan has some things the MINI doesn’t — four doors and a price tag of only $7,500. Of course, remember that sometimes in life — you get what you pay for.

Top 10 Chinese Knockoffs [Time.com]

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