Knock-Off Brands Seen All Over Iran Because Companies "Can't Do Anything About It"
Same same, but different.
By Tamara Jayne — 22 Apr 2024, 11:11 AM
Fake chainstores, fast-food joints, and luxury brand knock-offs have been spotted all over Iran
YouTuber @uptin recently posted a video showing several stores in Iran that shamelessly mimic well-known brands.
While some stores straight-up copy the logos and names of popular stores, others had tweaked them slightly.
In Uptin's video, he pointed out a 'H&M' store in Iran that had a similar logo and colour scheme to the real thing.
There is a Starbucks knock-off with a similar logo but in different colours, and another shop that copied Shake Shack's logo, font, and colours, but with a different name
Burger King was modified to 'King Burger', with a logo resembling 'Keng Burger', while 'KFC' was shortened to 'KF', featuring a younger version of 'Colonel Sanders' in its logo
According to Uptin, "companies can't really do anything" about these fake brands and outlets.
"This is because of sanctions, western companies are not allowed to operate in Iran... there is no sense of trademark or copyright here. I don't even think a lawyer for some of these companies would know where to send the letter to," he explained.
Uptin's video merely shows a few of these stores, but there appear to have been many more in recent years.
The knock-offs have left people amused, with many expressing interest in trying 'Sublime', a Subway imitation
In 2015, according to a report by CNN, a KFC-branded outlet in Tehran was shut down just 36 hours after its opening.
The restaurant owner informed Tasnim News that the closure occurred due to a "miscommunication", clarifying that his establishment was not associated with KFC but rather with a separate restaurant in Turkey that employs the KFC name.
KFC's parent company, Yum! Brands, stated that it intended to take legal action against the individuals responsible for the restaurant, as no franchise rights have been granted to business owners in Iran.
