Plagiarism: Isn’t It All?
by No one is the owner of everything or are they?
The dictionary is filled with words that have been around for hundreds and thousands of years, so are they not being used again? If the answer is yes, then if you put several of them together is that plagiarism? If I write a poem and use the same words that some one else used, maybe in a little different way, is that not copy write infringement? When I describe a gorgeous Persian rug and then go to a heritage carpet site on the Internet to find my words on the screen, what is that called?
All our brains work in a unique fashion, but most often times, we share thoughts, maybe even use the same bunch of them in the same order. What makes me the plagiarist for thinking the same thing and putting it down exactly like you did? We might live in different countries in the world, but you said it first and put your stamp of “I own it” upon that bunch of words first making me the second person.
An inventor sets claim to his discovered do dad by filing his idea with a patent. Now if I ad a handle to his do dad, can he sue me for infringement on his patent? I was just smart enough to expand on his brainstorm. I was also smart enough to be able to figure out how he built his do dad so I could place my handle making it “mine”.
Singing a song in a certain melody is a title with lyrics. There are so many notes in an octave for us all to use. If I use your notes and just happen to put the words in the dictionary to the rhythm that you did, am I a copy cat?
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Post CommentMr Ghaz
On June 25, 2009 at 6:00 am
Great post!!..nicely done..very informative too..I always enjoyed reading your work..Well done!!
clay hurtubise
On June 25, 2009 at 6:08 am
Here is what I think and I quote from my favorite author….
Good piece.
Thanks,
Clay
ken bultman
On June 25, 2009 at 6:50 am
Questions, questions. A lawyers dream.
Alistair Briggs
On June 25, 2009 at 7:12 am
A very interesting topic this and I know exactly what you mean.
One thing to always keep in mind is that when it comes to plagirising (and/or copyright) there is always a chance that two people could randomly write the same thing.
Interestingly, when it comes to copyright (and thus an argument of plagirising) it is the person’s work that is protected and not the ideas. So one can actually take someone elses idea and write something else in their own words.
However if by a strange coincidence two people did write the exact same thing (This is actually a near impossible thing when it comes to longer pieces as it is suprising how differently people write) but say it was a poem (or a couple of lines of a poem: less words more chance of to random people coming up originally with the same words.
So for example if someone on Triond came out with a poem that someone else found out was the exact same wording as a Shakespeare poem, it would be up to the accuser to prove that the accussed was not aware of what was the first published piece.
Or for a simpler analogy. If I took this entire piece and published it on another site (which I won’t by the way. lol) and then the author found out, well they could prove that I was aware of their writing because I had commented on it.
Anyway, (sorry for the length here) great topic and well written
Deep Blue
On June 25, 2009 at 8:00 am
Before computers came when school reports compel us to make research,we may copy a line or two in the dictionary or encyclopedia. The only sure way to avoid plagiarism nowadays is keep your idea to yourself.Out theres is a sea of ideas, it depends on the sober brain to light up and absorb them.You brought out a really sensational topic in the writing community, well done.
Anna Ski
On June 25, 2009 at 8:36 am
This is thought out aloud by you, great read.
Jenny Heart
On June 25, 2009 at 8:54 am
I totally agree. Some people think alike and words may come out similar. No I don’t feel it is plagarism. It’s just similar thoughts. Why can’t smart people see. I guess some are blindsided.
nutuba
On June 25, 2009 at 9:24 am
Thought provoking article here! In some sense, I guess, copying is a form of flattery, but surely there can be no satisfaction in the copying of someone else’s work. The real joy comes in producing something that causes someone else to say, “Man, I wish I had said that.”
Sheila M
On June 25, 2009 at 9:48 am
It is almost next to impossible for two people to write the words in exactly the same way, word for word. I have had a few of my poems plagarized and it’s a horrible feeling to me, especially when your work gets put on unsavory sites such as adultfriendfinder.
CHAN LEE PENG
On June 25, 2009 at 10:17 am
It’s impossible for people to write a similar sentence, word by word. In case, you want to use the phrase or sentence, you should quote the source to credit the author. Liked it.
Geri OHara
On June 25, 2009 at 10:26 am
Hi Goodself because the ideas that we write about tend to be universal (& ideas can’t be copyrighted) people are always going to write about similar things (like love, death etc)but sometimes work is blatantly plagiarized and if that happens it is very upsetting and disappointing. & why would some one want to swipe off other peoples work? Is it not better to let other people inspire you to write something uniquely yours? As for inventions or scientific discoveries if you make something better should you not acknowledge the original inventor or scientist?…obviously your article has provoked a lot of thought in my mind!…makes a change
C Jordan
On June 25, 2009 at 10:38 am
Good thought provoking article.
Poetic Enigma
On June 25, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Great article…..and those are all very good, thought provoking questions. I never thought about it that way before. You make some good points!
Darlene McFarlane
On June 25, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Great article. I think you have voiced what many of us have thought for some time. You are bound to run across an expression, or sentence that is worded the same way as someone else somewhere. I once read somewhere that it is considered plagiarism if 5 or more consecutive words are the same but I think it’s easier to unintentionally write 5 exact words than a whole sentence.
Inna Tysoe
On June 25, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Well, OK. But what if the idea you are talking about is worth a lot of money?
Let’s say you ask me to review an article. It’s about how to cure cancer. I review it and tell you that here are a few corrections you can make and recommend some journals to which you might send off your article.
A few weeks later, I come out with an article on curing cancer. It’s very similar to the one you had written. But after all you had asked me to review your article because I was doing research in the field also–and I was well-known in that field. Still, my article does contain a number of original ideas–ideas that, as far as you know anyway, appeared for the first time in your article. Not that you have read every piece of literature on the subject of course. And, as you say, I might well have come up with them on my own.
Anyway, my article (which does not cite or credit you in any way) gets published in a major magazine, drugs are made using my ideas, I become a billionaire, win lots of prizes and go on to live a very good life. You eventually get tenure.
Was it plagiarism?
Regards,
Inna
S M Blomker
On June 25, 2009 at 11:11 pm
very interesting piece of writing..thanks for sharing.
kate smedley
On June 26, 2009 at 4:59 am
Excellent article with some very interesting points – you’ve made me think about this.
swatilohani
On June 26, 2009 at 6:10 am
perfect