With a legal battle looming over LaBeouf, it didn't help that his apology which was posted on Twitter was also rumored to be a copy of a four-year-old Yahoo! Answer entry.
- Dec 18, 2013
AceShowbiz - Things get messy for Shia LaBeouf. Daniel Clowes is not impressed by LaBeouf's apology and is pursuing legal option regarding the actor's new short film "HowardCantour.com" which bears striking resemblances to the artist's comic "Justin M. Damiano".
Clowes' editor Eric Reynolds says in an email to BuzzFeed, "His apology is a non-apology, absolving himself of the fact that he actively misled, at best, and lied, at worst, about the genesis of the film." He added, "No one 'assumes' authorship for no reason."
"He implied authorship in the film credits itself, and has gone even further in interviews. He clearly doesn't get it, and that's disturbing. I'm not sure if it's more disturbing that he plagiarized, or that he could rationalize it enough to think it was OK and that he might actually get away with it. Fame clearly breeds a false sense of security."
LaBeouf admitted his mistake soon after the plagiarism issues came to light. "Copying isn't particularly creative work," he said. "Being inspired by someone else's idea to produce something new and different IS creative work." He said he "got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation."
A new speculation emerged shortly after, suggesting that his apology may have also been a rip-off as it was similar to a Yahoo! Answer posted four years ago by a user named Lili. It read, "Merely copying isn't particularly creative work, though it's useful as training and practice. Being inspired by someone else's idea to produce something new and different IS creative work, and it may even revolutionalize the 'stolen' concept."
A similar thing happened early this year. He was caught copy-pasting quotes from an Esquire article into an email he sent to Alec Baldwin following their creative differences in Broadway production "Orphan". The issue came to public's attention after LaBeouf himself leaked the email online.
LaBeouf's camp hasn't commented on the newest plagiarism report, but The Wrap learns that the actor hopes to work out a deal to give Clowes proper credit on his short film. A monetary offer is also likely on the table should both parties sit down together for a settlement.
