Attack of the iPhonies

Since the beginning of the iBoom, overseas (and some domestic) manufacturers have been quick to cash in on Apple's design prowess. These 10 iPod and iPhone clones show that imitation can be the quickest way to gadget sales.

Mark Sullivan, PC World

Iops Jock and Z3

Cheap copycat versions of Apple's iPods and iPhones, dubbed iClones, have been flowing out of Asia for several years now. They can be found in foreign online and local shops--and sometimes on eBay. Apple doesn't view this mimicry as the sincerest form of flattery; indeed, "familiarity breeds contempt" may more aptly describe its reaction. Here are 10 of the most immediately recognizable variations on Apple products we could find. We hope that you enjoy looking at them--but remember, not all iClones are created equal to the real device.

Apple's attorneys don't always spring into action as soon as they become aware of a new iPod clone, but they do if such a product becomes popular enough to create "confusion in the marketplace." In 2005 Apple sent a cease-and-desist letter to Iops, which at the time was the fifth-largest MP3 maker in South Korea. Two of Iops's products, the Jock and the Z3 are unmistakably iPodesque. Apple also asked for compensation for lost iPod sales and a formal apology published in at least two major South Korean newspapers.