Dear Jape,

Yes, that was basically my point: Caveat emptor, or, as Moilami said, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I'd really hate to be on the wrong end of a deal involving thousands of dollars that soured because a dishonest Alibaba or Taobao vendor thought he could scam someone far away. But this stuff happens every day. Taobao is an amazing thing, and I don't know how China survived for 5,000 years without it. You can find bloody well anything in there, almost. And most of it is legitimate, though a lot of it, as you've noted, is created without respect for intellectual property rights. But for all its wonders, it's also a haven for fraud, and these recent cases are probably just the tip of the iceberg. The authorities would like us to think that because a couple of executives got handslapped and several thousand dishonest stores were closed, the problem now is finished. Let's enjoy our harmonious society! Until the next scam comes along, which, in fact, was already happening when the state proclaimed the problem was resolved...

China really is an alternative universe where rule of law is at best just a hammer with which grandma preserves her unquestioned power. The internet allows that China to project itself into places like New Jersey. But America's rule of law protections, good (though not perfect) as they are, do not reach into China, and shouldn't be expected to any time soon.

Which is a long way of saying: Caveat emptor.

cheers!