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German Provokes Chinese With T-Shirt to Fight Plagiarism

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  • German Provokes Chinese With T-Shirt to Fight Plagiarism

    Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Product piracy is a designer's worst nightmare
    German fashion designer Philipp Plein has printed provocative words on his T-Shirts as a protest against plagiarism in China. His efforts have even gotten him death threats.

    Philipp Plein has become famous in China due to his provocative T-Shirt design, but the 29-year-old German is less than completely happy about his fame -- maybe notoriety would be a better word.

    Plein said he came up with the idea to print the words "F-*-*-K YOU CHINA" on T-Shirts after being struck and irritated by rampant Chinese product piracy. He wanted to prevent a product-pirate from copying his work.

    He printed the words "Manufactured in Europe, produced and designed by Philipp Plein." Under that was a drawing of a Chinese man that might be seen as portraying a negative stereotype or even considered racist by some.

    He had 100 of those T-shirts made and as of yet, no imitations have hit the market.

    But the idea didn't go over too well in China. A Chinese college student saw the T-Shirt in a clothing store in Bremen and wrote about it on Chinese Internet forums.

    People in China then started collecting signatures against Plein, who was promptly nicknamed "Neo-Fashion-Nazi." It did not take long for an anti-Plein Web site to be set up.

    Many Chinese Web sites suggested that their countrymen in Germany are seen as second-class citizens. They inundated the Plein's company with phone calls and e-mails. Many callers simply screamed vulgarities at him before hanging up the phone. Plein and his co-workers even received death threats.

    An explanation that the logo actually stood for "the fascinating and urban collection: kiss you China" did not placate the Chinese: Some proposed the idea of boycotting all German products.

    The T-Shirt affair not only resulted in people's disgust and some nasty name-calling -- a few high-level spats have grown out of it. Chinese diplomats in Germany called on Plein to recall the T-Shirts that were still in stores and destroy them.

    Plein felt he needed to act, but he cancelled a press conference planned in Munich at the end of July. Instead of speaking out personally about the incident and apologizing publicly, Plein apologized through a press release.

    An important photo shooting kept him away, said Plein's spokesperson. "Photographers, models, etc. were already booked," he said.

    In the press release, Plein said that at no time had he purposely wanted to offend the Chinese people. The logo on his T-Shirt was neither a political nor a racist or discriminatory statement, he said.
    German Provokes Chinese With T-Shirt to Fight Plagiarism | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 11.08.2007

    Interesting way to fight piracy, but I would probably just call him to yell at him for this.
    Last edited by wkllaw; 11 Aug 07,, 15:01.
    Those who can't change become extinct.

  • #2
    Quite funny, actually. If it would become a trend the Chinese would not plagiarize it. He probably thought that it could become popular as did the "De Puta Madre" t-shirts.

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    • #3
      What creative work could a man who writes "F-*-*-K YOU CHINA" have to protect?

      "Neo-Fashion Nazi," that's worth a fuss

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      • #4
        Having Fu*k You China at a time of strong nationalism amongst the young chinese students at college is a bad idea. Espiecially considering that a lot of chinese college students who go abroad to study in Germany.

        I agree that piracy should be dealt with in China, but what he's doing won't really sell unless the people who buy it are racist against chinese people and any chinese person who sees it and reads it will get angry and some might even assault the person wearing it or at the very least glare at the person.
        Those who can't change become extinct.

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