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It's practically a new American tradition: a reality show hits the air, in this case Project Runway, the Heidi Klum-hosted fashion designer competition that managed to surpress every groan and eyeroll by actually being good, and suddenly every couchbound Mark Burnett-wannabe who ever uttered the words, "I have an idea for a show like The Apprentice, but with [fill in occupation]!" is convinced the fifty word 'concept overview' they scrawled on their IHOP placemat has been pilfered by evil network executives. Then they sue:

Walt Disney Co. is being sued by two women who claim that the company's Miramax Film Corp. stole their idea for Project Runway, a show hosted by model Heidi Klum where aspiring fashion designers compete for prizes.


Cynthia Rodriguez, a designer, and Elizabeth Zwiebach, a fashion buyer, say they pitched the idea for American Runway to Klum's agents in July 2003, only to see Klum and Miramax announce their own "slavish copy" of the idea in November. Klum is also named in the suit.

This is not the first suit brought against the Bravo series, which premieres its second season tonight, though it does have the bombshell title factor; if nothing else, the ingenious and unique use of the word "runway" for a show about models walking down a long, narrow stage while sporting various fashions could really be the telling detail that the Miramax TV execs have sticky fingers when it comes to series ideas.