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Beijing authorities have banned the sale of Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus phones because they apparently too closely resemble handsets from a little-known Chinese manufacturer. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, a company that owns the exterior design for a 5.5-inch Android device called the 100c claims Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus copy its intellectual property.

The Beijing Intellectual Property Bureau apparently agreed with Shenzhen Baili, the company that owns the 100c design, and handed down an order late last month. The Wall Street Journal notes that the Bureau posted the order late last month and that Apple can still appeal. Mashable has been unable to find that statement on the Chinese-language website.

Regardless, the action isn't surprising when you consider how often Chinese manufacturers copy American designs and how difficult they make it for U.S. companies to operate in China. 

It's also likely that the 100c shipped after Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launched in September of 2014.

A video walk-through of the then-new 100C from November 2014, shows an Android device with a design somewhat similar to the iPhone 6. It's thin, offers an edge-to-edge screen, and has a similar-looking speaker slot on the screen. Aside from that, though, these phones have little in common. The back of the 100C appears to be plastic. There's no physical home button and the camera lens, flash and speaker grill placement are considerably different.

Another video shows the device with an alloy back and maybe a little bit more of an iPhone 6 look, but it is otherwise the same as the 100C. A hands-on video of the device was posted in December 2014.

Beijing's actions may have little impact on iPhone sales (which have been slumping in China), since it targets a pair of near two-year-old designs. Most Apple retailers are currently selling the newer iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Mashable has contacted Apple for comment and will update this post with its response.

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