Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the representation of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.12 In educational contexts, there are differing definitions of plagiarism depending on the institution.3 Prominent scholars of plagiarism include Rebecca Moore Howard,4567 Susan Blum,89 Tracey Bretag,101112 and Sarah Elaine Eaton,31314 among others. Plagiarism is considered a violation of academic integrity and a breach of journalistic ethics. It is subject to sanctions such as penalties, suspension, expulsion from school15 or work,16 substantial fines1718 and even incarceration.1920 Recently, cases of "extreme plagiarism" have been identified in academia.21 The modern concept of plagiarism as immoral and originality as an ideal emerged in Europe in the 18th century, particularly with the Romantic movement. Generally, plagiarism is not in itself a crime, but like counterfeiting fraud can be punished in a court2223 for prejudices caused by copyright infringement,2425 violation of moral rights,26 or torts. In academia and industry, it is a serious ethical offense.2728 Plagiarism and copyright infringement overlap to a considerable extent, but they are not equivalent concepts,29 and many types of plagiarism do not constitute copyright infringement, which is defined by copyright law and may be adjudicated by courts.