Appleis products and Western IP laws are currently incompatible with Chinais politics, according to Mike Elgan at Datamation on Wednesday. Itis a messy reality.
Mr. Elgan outlined Appleis challenges.
- Apple is a mass-market luxury brand in a country that prizes value above brand.
- China has an authoritarian government that makes it hard for Apple to market some product features.
- China is the global epicenter of intellectual property theft.
In addition, Chinese carriers, like China Mobile have been reluctant to agree to Appleis business terms. Apple will have to do business in China eventually, and the new retail store in Beijing is an admission of that. How successful Apple will be, in the long run, is an open question, and Mr. Elganis discussion provided valuable insights into the challenges Apple will face.