Counterfeit iPod Nanos and Shuffles Appear

With the rapidly rising popularity of the Apple iPod, imitators are trying to cash in on the phenomenon.

They've gone so far as to create counterfeit iPods (photos). These iPods look-alikes are similar to the Apple iPod and can even be labeled with Apple serial numbers. Both counterfeit iPod nanos and iPod shuffles have been spotted. Both products share a general resemblance to the original products, but have some key differences:

The counterfeit iPod nano has a non-standard headphone jack located on the lower-right and has no dock connector. Meanwhile, the counterfeit shuffle comes in a convincing box but has the words "Digital Music Player" on the top, which the original does not. Other differences in the shuffle are the lack of a repeat setting on the switch and no battery light or status button.

Apple, of course, does not provide service for these imitation iPods, and claims they are taking these matters seriously and are investigating these devices. Apple has warned resellers of the existence of the fake iPods and what to look out for.