BBC Chinese recently reported that, when well-known U.S. pop music singer Taylor Swift will launch her touring concert in Shanghai this November, she plans also, at the same time, to announce her own clothing line in China. Swift is working with Chinese online shopping sites to market her authentic line of products in the Chinese market, with a guarantee to the buyers that they won’t get fakes. This is an effort to fight the widespread fake Swift products that have spread through the Chinese online market. For example, a T-shirt printed with Taylor Swift’s famous song named “Shake It Off” sells for RMB 40 yuan (around US$7) online at China’s largest online shopping site (also the world’s largest) TaoBao.com. Swift, however, never gave any authorization for it. TaoBao.com was recently accused of not making enough of an effort to crack down on counterfeits. In the meantime, Swift’s concert may face another totally unrelated issue. Her new music album is named “T.S.1989,” standing for her initials and the year she was born. However, in China, the number 1989 and the initials are considered “sensitive” because the Chinese authorities may connect them with the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Source: BBC Chinese, July 24, 2015
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/simp/world/2015/07/150724_swift_china