The distinction between copyright and plagiarism is straightforward. Copyright refers to the legal protections afforded to authored works like books, articles, music, videos and movies, and anything else “fixed in a tangible medium of expression.”^[1] Copyright holders are granted the exclusive rights to adapt, copy, publish, and display their work. ^[2]

By contrast, plagiarism refers to the violation of ethical standards within a community (e.g., academia). Plagiarism is further divided into two classes: intentional and unintentional. In both cases, the work of a different author(s) is presented to the community as an original product. In the former instance, the offending author intentionally deceives his audience. In the latter, the offending author fails to adequately cite one or more sources. Unintentional plagiarism is sometimes difficult to discern from intentional plagiarism, as the reviewer must assume intent on the part of the author. Examples of unambiguous, intentional plagiarism include:

• Using a pre-written paper such as the kind you can purchase online

• Submitting a paper you had someone else write

• Submitting as your own work someone else’s published or unpublished work in part or in its entirety

Confusion between copyright and plagiarism occurs when one believes one kind of permission [is equivalent to] total permission.” ^[3] An authored work in the public domain (i.e., with an expired copyright or public license) still needs to be cited if used as a source in an authored work. Conversely, citing a source does not give one permission, for example, to adapt a book into a screenplay or to use the character of another’s novel within one’s own work.

Violating copyright laws carries the potential for jail time and frequently results in very large fines. “Fair use” laws grant individuals in some countries the ability to use copyrighted material for the purposes of teaching, research, reporting, commentary, or criticism, but no exemptions exist for improper citation. The penalties for plagiarism are community-specific. Examples of common penalties include:

• Failing an assignment or course
• Expulsion from a university
• Loss of one’s job
• Loss of funding for a project
• Rejection of one’s previously published work
• A longstanding stigma within the community

1 References

[1] http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/102

[2] http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/106

[3] http://www.concordia.edu/sitefiles/w3/Library/Plagiarism%20vs%20(2).pdf