shanzhai
The imitation and trademark infringing of brands and goods of usually poor quality, particularly electronics made in China.
uncountable
The brazenness of the imitations has added to their attraction. Beijing’s electronics markets enjoy a roaring trade in “shanzhai” goods.
Many “shanzhai” goods sport altered names, trying to tread a fine line between imitation and straight-out fake, and cost much less than their above-board, well-known brand-name equivalents.[…]
Where it comes from
First use appears c. 2000s, from the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin 山寨 (shānzhài), literally mountain fort, suggesting a lair of bandits or counterfeiters.
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry shanzhai (CC BY-SA 4.0).