Thing gets invented, and invented thing gets rapidly copied in China at a fraction of the cost – and often a fraction of the performance. For many years, this has been the pattern – but Dan Koeppel (writing for Popular Science) wonders if the latter part is going to be changing soon, based on what he’s seen and heard while seeking out a rumoured iPhone “clone”:

… the miniOne represents the vanguard of this cloning revolution. Meizu isn’t aspiring merely to copy the designs of a Western manufacturer on the cheap. The company plans to give the miniOne capabilities beyond the original. Does this signal the start of something bigger in China—the years of reverse engineering serving as a de facto education for the engineers who will soon transform China into a design and engineering powerhouse? Is China on the cusp of going legit?

It better be – as the article references, there’s growing push back against inferior copies coming out of China from consumers and companies alike. At the same time, the Chinese government has become more actively involved, with punishments for various infractions ranging from $75,000 fines to execution. Yes, execution.