AOL's hyper-local news site Patch is finally made a decisive move regarding plagiarism problem. Following content theft in West Hollywood and then in New Rochelle, New York, the site replaced the editor in the latter case.

This according to the journalist, Robert Cox, who had his photo montage lifted wholesale from the local Patch site only to get a denial from a local editor that the case comprised a violation of copyright or even an ethical lapse.

As was the case in WeHo, in which the Patch site published part of an obituary lock stock and barrel, the site's editors failed to grasp the gravity of the situation and failed to issue an immediate apology until the issue blew up in their faces.

This week Patch in New Rochelle replaced local editor Allison Esposito.

To be fair, when things get to the level of Patch's editor-in-chief, Brian Farnham, corrective action happens. But is that soon enough?

The thing is, this $50-million-strong network of sites should be able to hire people with enough experience to know what's right and wrong in journalism. Right?

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.