Subject and Course Guides: Avoiding Plagiarism: Copyright Vs. Plagiarism (2024)

Copyright infringement includes the unauthorized or unlicensed copying of a work subject to copyright. (Tech Law Journal)

Plagiarism is using someone else's work or ideas without giving proper credit. In other words, because you are not giving attribution to the owner of the original work or idea -- you are presenting the idea or thought as your own.

  1. Plagiarism is a violation of academic norms but not illegal; copyright violation is illegal but quite common in academia.
  2. Plagiarism is an offense against the author; copyright violation is an offense against the copyright holder. In traditional academic publishing, they are usually not the same person, because copyright transfer agreements (CTAs) are so common.
  3. Plagiarism applies when ideas are copied; copyright violation occurs only when a specific fixed expression (e.g., sequence of words, use of an image) is copied.
  4. Avoiding plagiarism is about properly apportioning intellectual credit; copyright is about maintaining revenue streams.

Adapted from Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the WeekbyMike Taylor, Matt Wedel, Darren Naishis licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Examples of Plagiarism (from Jamie Dendy)

  • Quoting someone's words from the Internet, a printed article, or an interview, without acknowledging the author.
  • Copying part of the content of a work into one's own paper without citing the source.
  • Copying or buying a paper and handing it in as one's own.
  • Falsely creating a citation that doesn't exist.
  • Failing to credit and cite someone else's thoughts or ideas when paraphrasing.
  • Paraphrasing in a way that relies too heavily on another's language or syntax.

Learn About Ways to Avoid Plagiarism

See Avoiding Plagiarism

Subject and Course Guides: Avoiding Plagiarism: Copyright Vs. Plagiarism (2024)

FAQs

Are copyright infringement and plagiarism the same thing explain your answer? ›

While both plagiarism and copyright infringement can be characterized as the improper use of someone else's work, they are distinctly different improper uses of someone else's work. The biggest difference is that copyright infringement is illegal, while plagiarism is not.

How can you avoid copyright and plagiarism infringement? ›

The best way to avoid plagiarism is careful citing of materials used in your writing, whether verbatim or paraphrased. Quotation marks must enclose any sentence, phrase, or even an unusual word lifted “as is”.

What are the 4 types of plagiarism? ›

The Common Types of Plagiarism
  • Direct Plagiarism. Direct plagiarism is the word-for-word transcription of a section of someone else's work, without attribution and without quotation marks. ...
  • Self Plagiarism. ...
  • Mosaic Plagiarism. ...
  • Accidental Plagiarism.

What is the difference between plagiarism and copyright violation PDF? ›

Copyright infringement refers to the unauthorized use of someone else's protected work, such as music, literature, or software. Plagiarism, on the other hand, is when someone presents someone else's work as their own without giving proper credit or permission.

How do you know if you are plagiarizing or violating copyright? ›

Plagiarism applies when ideas are copied; copyright violation occurs only when a specific fixed expression (e.g., sequence of words, use of an image) is copied. Avoiding plagiarism is about properly apportioning intellectual credit; copyright is about maintaining revenue streams.

What is an example of plagiarism and copyright infringement? ›

Scenario 3 (both copyright violation and plagiarism): If you copy the lyrics to a recent top 40 song and post it to a Web site, claiming it as your own work, you have violated the copyright on the work and you have also plagiarized the songwriter.

What is the golden rule for avoiding plagiarism? ›

As a “Golden Rule” you should always remember to give credit where credit is due. In other words, if the idea is not completely your own, you must cite the source (journal, magazine, book, internet site, etc,) where the information was found. Otherwise, you could be at risk of plagiarizing.

What is the easiest way to avoid plagiarism? ›

You can avoid plagiarism by:
  1. Keeping track of the sources you consult in your research.
  2. Paraphrasing or quoting from your sources (and adding your own ideas)
  3. Crediting the original author in an in-text citation and in your reference list.
  4. Using a plagiarism checker before you submit.
Oct 10, 2021

What do you say to avoid copyright? ›

If you want to waive all intellectual property rights that you're granted under copyright laws, then put the phrase 'No Rights Reserved' at the end of your copyright disclaimer. However, the more common way to express reserving no rights over your property is to use the Creative Commons signifier CC0.

What are 3 signs of plagiarism? ›

Font of paper suddenly changes (suggests copy/pasting) Inconsistencies in citation format or usage. Complete lack of citations, especially for complex material/ideas. Last minute change of paper topic or research focus.

What is the 5 word rule plagiarism? ›

Students may pick up too many of the writer's phrases. As a rule of thumb, five of the writer's words in a row constitute plagiarism of another persons 's words. Students may also fail to give the writer's ideas the credit they are due.

What is the three word rule plagiarism? ›

Plagiarism: taking any sequence of more than three words without citing is stealing work from others. Taking an idea, image (photograph, table, or graph) without citing is also plagiarism and may also violate copyright laws.

Can you sue for plagiarism without copyright? ›

Although plagiarism is not a criminal or civil offense, plagiarism is illegal if it infringes an author's intellectual property rights, including copyright or trademark. For example, the owner of a copyright can sue a plagiarizer in federal court for copyright violation.

What is an example of a copyright? ›

When a person creates an original work, fixed in a tangible medium, he or she automatically owns copyright to the work. Many types of works are eligible for copyright protection, for example: Audiovisual works, such as TV shows, movies, and online videos. Sound recordings and musical compositions.

What are examples of plagiarism? ›

Here are some examples of Plagiarism:
  • Turning in someone else's work as your own.
  • Copying large pieces of text from a source without citing that source.
  • Taking passages from multiple sources, piecing them together, and turning in the work as your own.
Apr 19, 2021

What are 3 examples of violating copyright laws? ›

What is copyright infringement?
  • Recording a film in a movie theater.
  • Posting a video on your company's website which features copyrighted words or songs.
  • Using copyrighted images on your company's website.
  • Using a musical group's copyrighted songs on your company's website.
May 11, 2023

Can you go to jail for accidentally plagiarizing? ›

Skandy helps you avoid accidental plagiarism

A plagiarist can be punished regardless of whether the plagiarism happened intentionally or unintentionally. To avoid plagiarism, it is important to cite sources correctly and not to abuse large fragments of other people's text excessively.

Does copyright mean you can't copy? ›

According to copyright law, any original content you create and record in a lasting form is your own intellectual property. This means other people can't legally copy your work and pretend it's their own.

What is 1 example of copyright infringement? ›

A typical example of copyright infringement is the use of music in your videos. If you have not obtained the permission to use a song as background music for your home movies, business presentations, or your own creative work, then you could be liable for copyright infringement.

What is the most common example of plagiarism? ›

Paraphrasing without citation is the most common type of plagiarism. Paraphrasing, like quoting, is a legitimate way to incorporate the ideas of others into your writing. It only becomes plagiarism when you rewrite a source's points as if they were your own.

How can you tell if something is copyrighted? ›

Follow these steps to do a copyright search:
  1. Go to Copyright.gov: Begin your search by navigating to copyright.gov . ...
  2. Access the database: Click the link that says, “Search our Copyright Public Records Catalog online here.”
  3. Run a basic search: The link will bring you to the catalog, where you can run a basic search.

What are the three simple rules you can follow to avoid plagiarism? ›

5 ways to avoid plagiarism in your writing
  • 1 Cite your source. ...
  • 2 Include quotations. ...
  • 3 Paraphrase. ...
  • 4 Present your own idea. ...
  • 5 Use a plagiarism checker.
Apr 25, 2023

What Cannot be considered as plagiarism? ›

Expressing an idea in your own words, and giving credit. Using a direct quote, and giving credit. Stating a fact, and giving credit. Paraphrasing or summarizing, and giving credit.

What are the two basic rules to remember to avoid plagiarism? ›

To avoid the plagiarism trap, here are 8 simple rules each researcher should follow:
  • Cite while you write. ...
  • Avoid copy-pasting. ...
  • Use short quotations. ...
  • Ask for permission from the copyright holder. ...
  • Copying images and photos is also plagiarism. ...
  • Apply the same standards when copying from open access journals or the public domain.

Does paraphrasing count as plagiarism? ›

Plagiarism occurs when students change words, rearrange sentences, or use synonyms when paraphrasing the original text. Paraphrasing entails expressing others' ideas in your own words so a citation must be provided.

How can I write my own words without plagiarizing? ›

A Helpful Strategy for Paraphrasing:

Put the original text aside. Wait a couple minutes; maybe even do another brief activity to slightly distract the mind. Without looking at the original text, try to restate the author's main idea in your own words. Write down two or three possible restatements of the original text.

How do you paraphrase without plagiarizing? ›

What strategies can I use to paraphrase?
  1. Use synonyms for all words that are not generic. ...
  2. Change the structure of the sentence.
  3. Change the voice from active to passive and vice versa.
  4. Change clauses to phrases and vice versa.
  5. Change parts of speech.

How do you paraphrase to avoid copyright? ›

Paraphrase In Your Own Words: When writing, paraphrase the author while still giving credit. Don't just replace a few words! Set the original source aside and try to restate what the author is stating. However, you still need to cite the source and give credit to the author.

What are the 4 fair use exceptions to copyright? ›

Fair use of copyrighted works, as stated in US copyright law, “for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.”

How do I protect my content with copyright? ›

  1. Include a clear copyright notice on your site. Specify the kind of use you will and will not allow on your site to avoid confusions. ...
  2. Configure your RSS feed so it displays post summaries. ...
  3. Search for your content using Google. ...
  4. Set up a Google Alert to scan for your name or site name/title. ...
  5. Use Copyscape. ...
  6. Protect your images.

Is plagiarism another word for copyright infringement quizlet? ›

Plagiarism and copyright infringement are the same thing. As long as you accurately credit or attribute a work (for example, "AP Photo/Johnny Doe") you cannot be held liable for copyright infringement.

What is the difference between copyright infringement and plagiarism in film industry? ›

The difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement

Plagiarism occurs when someone copies someone else's words or work without acknowledging the source. A copyright is violated when the exclusive rights of the holder are breached, in which case the violator is required to compensate the holder.

Is copyright an infringement? ›

What is copyright infringement? As a general matter, copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.

What is the difference between plagiarism and copying? ›

Copying and Pasting Plagiarism

Anytime you copy and paste verbatim from a source and do not give the source credit it is plagiarism. If you do copy and paste a passage word for word, you must put the information in quotations (i.e. " ") marks and give credit to the author.

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