TLo, TLo, TLo! Three cheers for TLo. Wow! Just saw your update -- NY Mag's "The Cut" didn't realize it was a wholesale copy of their article until your blog. [Folks, TLo has a link to the update at the end of their original post.] You guys do deserve a role on Law & Order: PGU! I HEART you!

Now, off to wonder for the next 48 hours if maybe PR didn't know??? until now? Or if NY Mag and PR reached a secret agreement in the past? Oh, this is DELISH, I think, as I rub my hands and cackle with glee.

Irina's copying the Reasons to Love list from the New Yorker, calling it Reasons to Love, does not fall under Fair Use. I'm a writer and I had a job where I had to work with Fair Use issues and get permission to use materials that didn't fall under Fair Use. The general rule is, if you aren't sure if the small portion of hte work you want to use is is Fair Use or not - GET PERMISSION.

I think she should be disqualified for this, which is a shame because she's a strong designer throughout the competition. She can't claim ignorance because she was warmed about her use of the Coney Island images.

Law and Order Prissy Gay Unit? I'd watch and I don't watch Law and Order or CSI We're Milking the Franchise. But only if they investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law Fashion Crimes Against Humanity.

From the NY Mag article in the update:

"Filed Under: make it work, copycat, irina, project runway"

LOL!

From Irina's official PR profile:

Q: What are your weaknesses as a designer?
A: I want instant gratification. I’m impatient.

Oooh... prophetic words.

Kudos to you guys for breaking the story--plagiarism sucks.

the font she chose is terrible too

So, was it just me, or did Irina tell Tim something like "I came up with a new idea-- 50 reasons to love New York-- I wrote down some thoughts I had..."

i.e.... she lied about the source of the ideas. She could have said something like "I found some great ideas" or whatever, but no, she claimed to be original.

That bugs me more than the copyright/no copyright business-- she knew very well that she was copying, and she lied about it.

Yeah, she makes nice clothes, and she's really really fast, which helped in the contest, but I wish she was up against Epperson and Shirin in the final-- I think they would slay her.

lkay09er said:
Please, fashion gods, let it be Nina who questions Irina on her "original vision" while Duchess quietly smiles and Heidi puts on an amped up Gordana-glare face. Let's face it, Tim can be stern, but he has no real power and Irina knows it. Put this information in the hands of the judges and let Irina explain herself on stage.
------------
Yes Please let it be Nina! That moment would be the absolute grand finale (since the collections really won't be) to this otherwise lackluster season.

Anyone want to play Devil's Advocate?

Live Twitter Q&A With the "Project Runway" Finalists

By LifetimeCaitlin Tue., Nov. 17, 2009 , 5:53 pm EST

WHAT: The top three designers join @lifetimetv and @projectrunway to answer YOUR questions before the finale!
WHEN: 9 pm et–10 pm et on Thursday, November 19

@frogponder: Ooooh!!!! Yes! Let someone ask Irina about it in that forum and see what she says.

Lifting quotes from NY Mag is tacky. But wait til the Klingons find out she swiped their forehead ridges!

There's no lying to Tim Gunn!

PS: Isn't it amusing that it's ALWAYS the people who have a certain problem themselves who complain the most when other people have that problem (or so they perceive it).

Irina: "Althea's not original! How hypocritical for HER to complain about LOGAN when she's stealing my ideas. Hey, I thought you were supposed to be inspired by your design, not mine! The big sweater is my concept, not hers!"

As soon as some public figure starts whining about family values, you know there's a sex tape or some other scandal in their background. Same witb homophobia. AND with plagiarism!

So... their models were to pick the 13th model for the 13th look... yet her model was wearing it. WHY WAS SHE NOT CALLED OUT ON THIS?

Carol Hannah RULES!!!

Actually, headlines in a newspaper or magazine aren't really copyrighted, in this case. It could be considered collage under fair use. It's a fine line...but unless she used a large part of the new york magazine articles verbatim (like she used the entirety of the "conney island" image) she's probably protected from copyright violation. Plagiarized, yes, copyright violation, probably no.

If anyone watched Project Runway Canada Season 2 - She also ripped off the winner's final collection - especially the hats and the general concept of armor. I don't even need to to point out the irony of her idea-stealing accusations.

I just had an interesting and unpleasant work experience with a young woman from Russia.

I recognized many personality traits in Irina that are identical to this woman.

I am wondering if I am right in thinking that due to the oppression and repression in Russian society that their citizens and their descendants have a coldness and a ruthlessness that causes them to be unnecessarily cruel?

A computer at one of my jobs was infected with the Security Tool virus which was created in Russia - as most computer viruses are. Again - why the blatant disregard for others??

Aside from the fact she's a whiny bitch who steals others ideas, that shirt is just plain fugly.

Oh, Irina, you should now be called Ironic!Hope Karma gets you!

Irina, you're a fraud. You accuse others of plagerizing from you when it wasn't warranted and now there's irrefuteable proof you're guilty of exactly that. What a hypocrite you are! Did you think no one would notice? How stupid and egotistical can you be? Eat some humble pie, for Christ's sake!

Atually her hat looks kind of similar to Jillian's (from season 4) - the gladiator-helmet knit caps

It's always easier to beg for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.

That is pathetic. She could not come with any ideas about NYC on her own??? get a friend who is a writer or somethin. She has nerve accusing others of copying her.

On one hand, who cares? It's a pretty open & shut case if you felt like going after her legally, but I hardly feel like that's worth it. That shirt could have said just about anything and she would have won just the same. At least it's not for sale yet, which is when it would start becoming a real issue.

On the other hand, she lives in NY so I'm sure a quick text to all of her friends could have produced plenty of original "Reasons" without having to bite another list.

The sentence on Madonna was NOT in the 2008 NY magazine list.

18. Because Madonna's Back to Distract Us.

Woohoo! Irina is able to paraphrase and edit!

she totallay ripped off madonnas cert look from the confessions tour. check out the equestrian look madonna did and what this hack did. It is such a shame because nina gave in the last season one of girls, I forget her name, but she was the chick crazy about the 40's, a hard time about "coping" some look off another boring designer and this is ok???? See if you have no talent you copy!!!!

In an interview on this site, Irina revealed her source for the roller coaster image: "I got the image from a vintage postcard from the 60s or 70s and added my own graphic twist to it. It wasn’t straight from the postcard. It was manipulated enough that it was my own image, but they still had to pay for it and that’s something they didn’t want to do. I ended up having to scrap that."

If you search "Irina's Inspiration" on ebay, you'll see the likely source. Irina has made some clear changes to the original. Would they be great enough to avoid copyright issues? Take a good look at the details of the Cyclone rollercoaster and the style of the rendering and see what you think.

This www is very immpressive, you are good writer, waiting for more informations

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