By Chris Chang, posted Oct 10, 2010 at 1:27 AM, 1,434 views,

Apple “Charges” Meizu With Plagiarism. No More Meizu M8

Meizu M8 is the strongest iPhone wannabe in China. It has been mimicking the iPhone’s design and features since way back in 2007 and today Meizu is announcing they are stopping sales and shutting down production lines for their M8 smartphone this month. We will no longer see this wonderful M8, and Meizu CEO Jack Wong has something to say:

Apple requested that we cease manufacturing the M8 this month, we agreed but then [Apple] came back and asked for a sales ban instead. I can cope with a production freeze, but not with having our shops closed and thus not being able to use up our inventory. If Apple and the provincial IPO take another insatiable step, I can only go head to head against them. (Translated by Richard Lai from Engadget)

Previously, Apple’s lawyers were going after Meizu and Jack is having a hard time now solving this terrible issue. The pressure is that Apple brought China’s Intellectual Property department into the ordeal and claims that the M8 “looks too similar” to the iPhone, Jack Wong must agreed to Apple and SIPO’s terms to stop producing the phone in face of a potential factory closure.

Lots of Meizu fans are depressed with this sudden news, and all of them are putting their hopes on Meizu’s upcoming Android phone, the M9. It’s still in development and Jack promised that they will try their best to launch the M9 soon in December. Luckily, the M9 does not look similar to the iPhone, so there’s no way Apple could charge Meizu with plagiarism. Anyway, here’s one more thing we found out, a likely fake e-mail from Steve Jobs stating his views on the M8.

Source: Meizu BBS via Engadget

More Coverage: Meizu Me