Forget the Fake DVDs, Try Some Faux Hairy Crabs

There is no shortage of counterfeit goods to be found in China; a simple stroll through the Silk Market or Yashow will turn up pirated DVDs, handbags, clothes, watches, pens, stickers, and more. I’ve often heard stories about how counterfeits tarnish foreign brands and the efforts companies and some foreign governments take to protect intellectual property rights. However, when I heard how fake Yangcheng hairy crabs are impacting the market here in China, I admit to being once again surprised by the lengths people will go to subvert the system to get ahead. In his story Something’s Fishy About Chinese Hairy Crabs, NPR (National Public Radio) reporter Frank Langfitt reveals how the fake crabs are hurting the income of legitimate Yangcheng farmers and goes on to explain how even the official Yangcheng hairy crabs aren’t really indigenous to the famed lake they are harvested from. You can read, or listen, to this fascinating story here on NPR’s website.

And I’m curious, what’s the strangest counterfeit product you’ve found while in the markets? Share your thoughts in the forum.