Did Muse Magazine Plagiarise Purple?
Olivier Zahm is "personally shocked and saddened to see the lack of ethics."
Purple Editor-In-Chief Olivier Zahm has accused Muse magazine of "flagrantly" copying Purple's layout. In the Editor's letter of the new Muse issue, Fabio Crovi writes of a "completely renewed layout" but Olivier argues that Muse has merely replicated Purple's aesthetic. Placing examples from Muse's new issue (Spring 2012) and Purple's previous issue (Fall 2011) next to each other, Olivier shows what he perceives to be the unmistakable similarities between the two publications in both the "visual structure of the pages" and "the composition of the whole magazine into different sections." He was "shocked" upon picking up the new issue of Muse, especially seeing as he had been interviewed by Fabio about independent magazines for the same issue.
Olivier writes "As Purple celebrates it's 20th birthday this year, I have never complained about having my magazine copied, both in its style and its content. I always took the imitation as flattery and as a force to drive me to move forward and be innovative... I never authorized any reproduction of the Purple layout... I am personally shocked and saddened to see the lack of ethics."
Muse have not commented on the accusations.
What do you think - imitation or inspiration?
Read our interview with Olivier Zahm from Oyster #96.
Via Purple Diary
Sophie Bosch
