Controversy! (Spoilerish/Updated!)

Look, we have to find SOMETHING to talk about, don't we?

So, here's the deal. Irina shows Tim her silkscreened "Conney" Island t-shirts when he comes for his visit.

Later, in a totally spontaneous and not at all staged scene, Tim calls her to tell her that:

"I just learned from the producers and their attorney that the Coney Island images that you're using, those are trademarked [...] therefore, you don't have the right to incorporate them into your clothing collection [...] I want you to use it but with images that are your own."

When she shows up for Fashion Week, she shows Tim her revised idea, which is to write all the reasons to love New York on the pieces. Tim quotes one: "'Reasons to love NY'...is that Madonna is back?"

Now, to fully explain, we're going to have to show you one of the pieces from her finale collection. If you don't want to see it, don't scroll down.







Now, using our crack CSI team here at T Lo International, here's some of what we can make out on the shirt:

"Because Robert Moses would have a coronary if he could see our streets now."

"Because people will still do crazy things to live here."

"Because [something something] is our play pen."

"Because just when you take the Empire State Building for granted, it seduces you again."

"Because even in these times, [something something]."

"Because we're resilient."

The problem? Every single one of these sentences was lifted from a December 2008 article from New York Magazine entitled "Reasons to Love New York."

We're not attorneys, but it would seem to us that this material falls under the same protection laws that prevented her from using the Coney Island image. Further, because she was told not to use the image, she can't really claim ignorance on this matter. Which means she deliberately used copyrighted material a second time after being told once by the producers that she was forbidden to do so.

What does this mean for the outcome of the contest? Time will tell, but since she was allowed to show these pieces in her collection, it would appear that she wasn't caught at the time. If she turns out to be the winner of the season, the producers could have a problem on their hands.

Discuss.


[Photos: firstVIEW.com - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogpost.com]


Related: Reasons to Love New York 2008 [NYMag]
UPDATE: Irina’s Project Runway Shirt Knocks Us Off [The Cut]


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