SolveYourProblem Article Series: Copyrights
I Need To Understand Copyright Law
Copyright
Law: What Is Plagiarism?
Anyone who is a writer is concerned with plagiarism.
Copyright Plagiarism Laws protects copyright holders from having
their works plagiarized. Many people think it is ironic that
the word plagiarism derives from “kidnapper” in Latin. However,
it is true. If a person uses another person’s words without
permission, they have indeed stolen or kidnapped something
that was owned by another and is in violation of copyright
law. Plagiarism is a very bad word in the writing world. Crediting
the author of the work will not keep someone immune from being
in violation of copyright law. Plagiarism is plagiarism, even
if the author is cited if the author did not give permission
for the work to be used.
One of the most common areas that copyright law plagiarism
is violated is in the academic world. Many students will copy
and paste the information they need for their research papers
and essays straight off the Internet and turn it in to their
professors. However, this type of cheating is easily detected
now with special programs that professors can use. Plagiarism
is unethical, not only in the writing world, but in the academic
world, as well.
Did you know that you could plagiarize a work but not be in
violation of the copyright? Likewise, you can be in violation
of a copyright and not have been plagiarizing. It is really
not that hard to understand. Let’s say you are using Abraham
Lincoln’s exact words in a paper and you did not cite him as
the source or give him credit. Well, Lincoln’s words aren’t
copyrighted because they are in the public domain. But, you
did plagiarize because you tried to pass off his words as your
own.
Alternatively, if you use a picture in a book and you did
not gain permission to use the book, you have violated copyright
law because you did not source the artist and you did not get
permission from the artist to use the picture.
If you are in school, the best way you can get around committing
plagiarism is to simply list your sources. If you use someone’s
word, list it in an endnote or in a footnote. List the resource
you found it in the bibliography. Another way around copyright
law plagiarism violations is to take notes when you are reading.
Take notes in your own words and put the resource away. Write
your paper from your own words.
No one wants to be singled out for plagiarism, especially
a student who is concerned about their reputation at school
and writers who need to keep their credibility in good standing.
With today’s technological advances, it is not too hard to
pinpoint plagiarized work. Even webmasters who run websites
are on to the plagiarism crowd. They can run their entire sites
through a special program to see if their content has been
stolen and duplicated elsewhere on the Internet.
If you are dealing in the written word, either academically
or as a profession, it is a good idea that you only use your
own words. It was probably easier to get away with plagiarism
100 years ago, but it is not that easy today. The changes are
very high that if you are caught violating copyright law plagiarism
laws you will be caught. Not only is it embarrassing, but it
can cost you a bundle in a lawsuit. # # # # # SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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