Hmm, it sounds like this dumb stylinexpat is confusing Korea with China/Taiwan. The fact is that Korea is also a victim of the "rampant-chinese/taiwanese-piracy-crisis'...
Here's a video clip on the "rampant chinese piracy" from the Japanese news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSBMc9Z5od8Highlights (for those who can't speak Japanese): - A copy of a car tail light: the original says KOREA on it, while the Chinese copy says KOBEA. The other major difference between them is that the Chinese-made light is not properly sealed and can fill up with rain water. - Korean consumers tell reporters that it is very difficult for them to tell if brand bags being sold in shops are the real thing. - A Chinese company is selling copies of a Korean beer brand. Six months after a South Korean company started selling a new motorbike, a Chinese company suddenly began selling an copy of the vehicle. While the outside appearance is similar, the Chinese-made bike's engine apparently breaks down within its first year of use. - A Korean employee of a major golf goods brand states that he is concerned that Chinese/Taiwanese copies are having a negative influence on the image of his brand.
Here's what's happening in China: 1) Japanese and Korean gadget, phone and car makers release sleek, innovative new devices or vehicles domestically in Japan and Korea. 2) Chinese rip-off companies buy one, and return to China where the whole thing is copied.3) The Chinese companies sell the fake version domestically in China. 4) when the original is finally sold in China, Chinese consumers think the original is a counterfeit of a Chinese original, since the Chinese phone was sold first, and are OUTRAGED at the copyright violation. Counterfeiters cost legit companies about $600 billion per year and growing fast, and the overwhelming majority of it happens in China.
Actually, the "Chinese/Taiwanese Piracy crisis" costs the legit Korean/Japanese/American companies such as Samsung, Sony, LG and Apple more than $650 billion every year.
BTW, @James Wood, hey you dumb-dimwit, don't lump the Koreans in with the Chinese here. As everyone knows, the Koreans have always lead the world when it comes to digital convergence, mobile and robotics.
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Check the following links:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aSm8mwwFMr8k&refer=home
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200701/200701150004.html
http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/keepin-it-real-fake-part-xxxvii-china-car-makers-strike-again/
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200611/200611240009.html
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200701/200701160009.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Korea-Convergence-Multiplayer-E-Government/dp/095560690X
BTW, FYI, the Chinese/Taiwanese piracy costs legit companies around the world more than $650 billion
annually.
Hope this helped.