The iPhone 5 was officially released toady, yet a knockoff of the phone has already been released in China. GooPhone, the smartphone business of Shenzhen Shenma Lianzhong e-Commerce released their version of the iPhone 5, called GooPhone I5 in late August. The GooPhone I5 looks almost identical to the leaked photos of the iPhone 5, including the larger touch screen and smaller dock connector. However, the GooPhone I5 runs on Google’s Android system and is sold for a cheaper price. The ethical issue here is that GooPhone is planning to sue Apple for “patent violations”. The business of filing for design, trademark, or technology before the global brand hoping to be paid off by the brand is called a patent troll and has become quite popular in China. GooPhone is known for creating knockoffs of popular cell phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, the HTC One S, and even the iPhone 4, yet GooPhone can sue Apple because the GooPhone I5 was released before the iPhone 5. GooPhone is not only hoping to take money from Apple that is not rightfully theirs, but also stole Apple’s iPhone 5 design and will not be punished for plagiarizing.
Sources: GooPhone I5, iPhone 5 Knockoff, Already On Sale In China (VIDEO), Enter Goophone I5, Looking a Lot Like Apple’s iPhone 5