Lifting Lutfi for Faux Exclusive

Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET

Congratulations to the fine folks at pagesix.com, who at nine or so last night were magically inspired to call the LAPD to ask if in fact Sam Lutfi was under investigation. Just like I'd done six hours earlier. Then they talked to Lutfi spokesman Michael Sands for what the site called an "exclusive." Just like I'd done six hours earlier. X17online.com even beat pagesix.com (nothing new for the celebrity photo agency blog, really), verifying our story a couple of hours later with its own calls to the LAPD while crediting Radar for the original item. It's hardly the first time a website has lifted from another, but when you're attached to a newspaper and have big bucks behind you, it's just kind of pathetic to lift from the scrappy little guy (even if doing so gives you another annoying nip at competitor TMZ's ankles). An e-mail to p6.com's cut-and-paster has gone unanswered. I'd let this go, but at least one astute blog which typically keeps a closer watch on this sort of thing is now crediting pagesix.com with the mini-scoop. So to that, I say: NO MINE, MINE, MINE!

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