Make It Happen: 'Project Runway' Dispute Tears Deeper

Posted by Eriq Gardner

Bravo seems to be stitching its "Project Runway" tear.

Parent NBC Universal announced it filed a request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the Weinstein Co., the producers of "Project Runway," from marketing and promoting a version of the show on the Lifetime network. TWC announced last month a $150 million deal to bring the popular reality program to Lifetime.

Meanwhile, NBC Uni also signed "Runway" producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz to an exclusive first-look deal.

Conceivably, Cutforth and Lipsitz could create a "Runway" knockoff (without Heidi Klum, who is going to the Lifetime program) and may even be able to secure Tim Gunn, Nina Garcia, and Michael Kors, who have yet to sign deals with the Weinsteins.

"We love the world of fashion; we feel we have a lot more to give in that arena," Lipsitz said. "It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for us to be developing something under our new deal."

If that happens, the Weinsteins could conceivably bring a countersuit for idea theft. Maybe next year they can hold Fashion Week in the New York district courthouse.