Conversation so far:
What was Shia LaBeouf accused of plagiarizing?
LaBeouf spoke about the plagiarism accusations with Bleeding Cool writer Rich Johnston.
What were the accusations?
Wired journalist Graeme McMillan noted at least three similarities in their article.
Which article?
LaBeouf released his short film Howard Cantour.com to the Internet; shortly thereafter, several bloggers noted its close similarity to Justin M.
Did he get taken to court?
CANNOTANSWER.
What was the outcome of the accusation?
LaBeouf's other work has come under scrutiny.

Question: Did LaBeouf have an excuse for the similarities?
Self-contained rewrite: Did LaBeouf have an excuse for the similarities between his and other people's works?