A total of 22 fake Apple stores have been discovered in one Chinese city.
Authorities in Kunming start searching out the copycats after pictures of one convincing replica were circulated on the web.
An early search found five fake stores was found, two of which were closed for trading without a licence.
Now, according to Chinese trade officials, 22 have been discovered illegal using Apple's brand and logo.
The investigation into illegal Apple stores in Kunming was brought about when an American living in the city published a blog post describing a visit to one such shop.
Describing it as a "beautiful ripoff", BirdAbroad revealed how far the owners had gone to copy the decor and ambience of a real Apple store.
Staff also wore the same colour T-shirts as real Apple staffers, and sported lanyards of the same design.
The blog post was widely shared around the world and prompted Chinese trade officials in Kunming to take action against these fake stores.
The Administration for Industry and Commerce in Kunming said its officals had unveiled a slew of stores violating Apple's registered trademarks.
The shops have been told to stop using the logos as Chinese laws prohibit copying the "look and feel" of another company without permission.
It is not clear whether the shops being reprimanded were selling products sourced from Apple distributers in the country or grey market imports.
The Kunming retail watchdog said it would step up its monitoring efforts and set up a hotline through which the public can report illegal Apple shops they find.
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