Taking another person's work, either the written word or original ideas, and passing it off as your own is considered plagiarism. Theft of such intellectual property occurs in the classroom, in the workplace and on the Internet and can be punishable by law.
Copyright Act
Material that is under copyright and is plagiarized by an individual can be considered a Copyright Act violation, which may result in legal action.
In the Classroom
On college and university campuses, plagiarism is not tolerated. The administration of the school or university sets the punishment for these infractions, whether it's a failing grade, suspension or expulsion.
Prosecution
Fines for acts of plagiarism categorized as misdemeanors range from $100 to $50,000. A jail sentence may also accompany the fine. In some cases of plagiarism, the crime may be considered a felony, which can bring bigger fines and jail sentences.
Avoid Plagiarism
The best way to avoid plagiarism is to use appropriate citation. Citing sources allows you to borrow another person's ideas or words and avoid committing a crime.
Fun Fact
The copyright symbol, seen as © in documents, books and online, once protected work from plagiarism, or from being copied. That changed in 1989 when copyright laws were extended to cover all works, even when the symbol is not present.
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