You know Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker which copied Apple designs en route to becoming the world’s most valuable startup?

Well, depending on who you are, get ready to bust out a tune on the world’s smallest violin, because Xiaomi’s quest to conquer the smartphone-owning world has apparently hit a bit of a snag: people keep copying its designs.

Yes, seriously.

Speaking at a press conference, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun claimed that his company is currently selling way fewer of its Mi Power Bank battery pack for smartphones than it should be.

“What is the biggest problem? There are many fakes,” Lei said. “If there were no counterfeits, our sales would be double or triple. The product has been recognized by everyone.”

The similarities have certainly been recognized by Apple, whose design guru Jony Ive last year blasted the Chinese smartphone maker for alleged theft, saying that, “I have to be honest: the last thing I think is ‘Oh, that is flattering… all those weekends I could’ve been home with my family… I think it’s theft and it’s lazy. I don’t think it’s OK at all.”

To be fair to Xiaomi, its more recent handsets have eschewed straightforward Apple clones for designs with a bit more originality to them. For instance, the company’s Mi Note is actually a pretty stunning alternative to the iPhone 6 Plus.

Still, given where the company came from, complaining that someone else is stealing your designs and undercutting you on price is pretty much the definition of irony.

Alanis Morissette should start writing another verse or two of her famous song right now.

Source: Bloomberg