What Would Life Be Like Without Fake Stuff?

People complain about fake products all the time. From fake oil, fake steamed buns, fake chuanr, fake purses and even fake cabs. But are we really ready to live without fake items? Recent events in Shenyang are providing some real-life answers.

Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, is entering its fourth day of a bizarre city-wide shopping-related paranoia; scores of shopkeepers, fearing an unprecedentedly harsh anti-piracy crackdown, have shuttered their businesses, waiting for a crackdown that the local police refuse to confirm or deny.

The trouble began in July, with rumors that the Shenyang police were about to launch a massive anti-counterfeit campaign; it was said that any business found to be selling fake products or lacking the proper business licenses would be subject to the seizure of such products and huge fines, even arrests of staff. Wu Ai Market, the Yashow of Shenyang (actually, the Yashow + Zoo Market + Silk Market of Shenyang), with its abundance of counterfeit name-brand merchandise, was seen as the likeliest target. Vendors stopped showing up to their stalls and soon the entire market was empty. Soon, the stores surrounding Wu Ai Market got nervous as well.

The rash of closures quickly became a chain reaction. Within the last couple of days, entire blocks of businesses across town – ranging from small markets and restaurants to barbers, bath houses, beauty salons, etc. – have refused to open their doors. Despite the fact that no confirmation of this crackdown was forthcoming from the authorities, many proprietors decided to stay closed rather than run the risk of a police inspection.

Some of the only stores to remain open are multinational superstores (e.g. Wal-Mart, Carrefour), where there have been reports of bulk purchases of bottled water and instant noodles; clearly, some Shenyang residents have turned to hoarding basic non-perishable items because they cannot predict when their neighborhood stores will reopen.

Residents quickly began to complain about the inconvenience. Shenyang netizens were alternately bemused, sanguine and anxious about their city’s business panic:

• “If you get caught, they will most definitely fine you! Rather shut down than get caught!”
"The whole city is like a ghost town"
• "Even scarier than Spring Festival"
• “Shops everywhere are closed. Residents are flooding into the supermarkets. It’s hard to find a basket to put your stuff in, so people are using plastic basins now.”
• “2012 is a troublesome year!”
• “Why are the real estate offices closed?”
• “The reason why banks are shut is because they have counterfeit bills.”
• “The government has lost people’s trust. Even if it’s just a rumor, why did they all believe it? This shows how big the credibility problem is! Shenyang government needs to do some thinking now.”
• “I’ve been home eating fried eggs for the past two days. Finally, today, I found markets that are still open, but many guys in the uniforms are there. Looks like they’ve fined one round of shops already, and I heard they will come again later. Right after I left, the guys in blue were back and some vendors are saying they won’t work in the afternoon! Government … please learn …”

This got us to wondering: Could a panic of this scale ever happen in Beijing? Sure, we’re all used to the occasional inconvenience of a shuttered DVD store when a new intellectual-property treaty is signed, and it’s not terribly difficult to imagine Yashow or Silk Market being chastened for a day or two, but would the paranoia about anti-piracy police ever spread beyond those markets into the small businesses that are the lifeblood of any city? Readers, what do you think?

Photos: www.news.cn