News thanks to queen_golgo_13 posting on LJ:

Diesel has posted an OK to Nitta-sensei's use of their picture - the one with the Iwaki and Katou on the ledge. They even joke that their models are hotter than Iwaki and Katou! Link here. (And w00t? Hotter than our boys? How are they able to design anything in that company? They have to be blind!)

From 55DSL's blog: "New rumors about 55DSL are stirring on the web these days, since the incredibly attentive manga readers concerned about artist Youka Nitta’s recent illustration that resembles one of the brand’s advertising photographs.

Specifically, the opening page in Stand on Vessel (Haru wo Daiteita series #49) manga in the August issue of Be-Boy Gold Magazine bears a great resemblance to the famous “kiss on the the ledge” from the Fall-Winter 06 campaign, and Nitta directly acknowledged that she traced it and that she is somewhat naïve in her awareness of copyrights.

Nitta also promised to deal with these issues more carefully in the future, and apologized profusely to 55DSL, the people involved, and her readers. 55DSL says: Nitta, don’t worry, we’re not that kind of brand, we consider this a tribute, only the greatest are copied, right? But honestly, our chick is hotter than yours!"

This is certainly a relief, and might be an indication that this might not end as badly as we thought.

Other news: The person - and yes, this seems to be a personal vendetta - who began this witch hunt is now on LJ and has made their own account. As if this wasn't spread widely enough as it is. This is beginning to look like a case of "let's look at the bitch's pics and find ads that look like them". Journal's here: http://community.livejournal.com/nitta_crib/

Pathetic much?