I think the issue here is the 'Made in Italy' sticker. If I have something that says it was made somewhere (wherever that may be) I expect it to be made there. So if I have a 'Made in Italy' sticker on my frame, then I would expect the frame to be brazed/welded in Italy....not brazed/welded in Taiwan and then painted in Italy.
I don't mind Italian companies having bikes made in Taiwan or wherever, as long as it's stated clearly what the country of manufacture is. If the bike is designed by a company and meets that company's standards then it works for me regardless of where it was made.
Rivendell bikes are not made by Grant, but he designs the frames and controls the quality somehow, so they're still Rivendell bikes....again, regardless of where they come from.