People often confuse plagiarism and copyright infringement, but they are two different violations of intellectual property rights. In the digital age where information spreads quickly and is easily accessible, it is important to understand the difference between the two. Additionally, plagiarism detection tools play a vital role in identifying and preventing both plagiarism and copyright infringement.
Copyright infringement occurs when someone uses another person’s protected work – such as books, music, software, or other creative material – without proper authorization. However, plagiarism occurs when someone presents another person’s work as their own without giving credit to the original creator or obtaining permission. Both involve using someone else’s work, but copyright infringement specifically deals with legally protected material, while plagiarism can include any material, whether it is protected by law or not.
What Is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism occurs when someone presents another person's work or ideas as their own without properly crediting the original creator. Although plagiarism is not illegal, it is considered unethical and is strictly monitored by educational institutions. In schools and universities, the consequences of plagiarism can range from failing an assignment to revocation of a degree.
Plagiarism is not limited to academics. In the professional environment, it has serious consequences, including damage to one's reputation and, in some cases, termination of employment or difficulty finding new employment. For example, in 2014, CNN fired a London-based news editor after six months of repeated plagiarism, including 128 cases that were mostly copied from Reuters.
What Is Copyright Infringement?
Copyright essentially gives creators exclusive rights to their original work that are fixed in tangible form. These rights automatically belong to anyone who creates an original work, such as a book, song, photograph, or movie. Copyright allows the owner to decide who can reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or create derivative works based on their original work.
Copyright infringement occurs when someone uses a copyrighted work without the owner's permission or a valid legal exception, such as fair use. The legal consequences of copyright infringement can be serious, including court orders, financial damages, and, in extreme cases, criminal charges.
Key Differences Between Copyright Infringement And Plagiarism
- Definition: Copyright infringement occurs when someone uses protected material without authorization, while plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own without proper acknowledgement.
- Legal Protection: Copyright infringement is a legal offense, while plagiarism is not a criminal act.
- Purpose of Protection: Copyright infringement focuses on the illegal use of creative works such as books, music, and art, while plagiarism involves the unauthorized use of another person’s thoughts, ideas, or writing.
- Consequences: Copyright infringement can lead to financial penalties and legal action, while plagiarism can cause reputational damage, academic penalties, and loss of credibility.
- Intent: Copyright infringement does not require intent, while plagiarism involves knowingly presenting someone else’s work as your own.
- Remedy: Copyright infringement can be resolved through court orders or cease and desist orders, while plagiarism can be resolved through proper attribution or by rewriting the material.
A Brief Note on Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when someone uses another person’s work or ideas without proper acknowledgement, assuming them to be their own. It is considered unethical and can have academic or legal consequences.
Disadvantages of Plagiarism
- Loss of credibility and reputation: Plagiarism undermines trust and damages personal or organizational credibility.
- Legal consequences and penalties: In some situations, plagiarism can lead to lawsuits or financial penalties.
- Assignment or project failure: Plagiarized work can result in a failing grade or project rejection, which can affect academic progress.
- Reduced learning opportunities: Plagiarism hinders the development of research, writing, and critical thinking skills.
- Damaged relationships: It can strain relationships with teachers, peers, and professionals.
- Impact on career prospects: Plagiarism raises questions about integrity, potentially damaging future job opportunities.
Further Reading: Easy Tips for Effective Content Writing: A Complete Guide in 2025
A Brief Note on Copyright Infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of someone else’s original work that is protected by copyright law. This includes copying, distributing, or modifying the work without permission. Violations can result in legal consequences such as fines or damages.
Disadvantages of Copyright Infringement
Disadvantages of copyright infringement include:
- Legal Penalties: Using copyrighted material without authorization can result in fines, damages, or even criminal charges.
- Damage to Reputation: Engaging in infringement can damage your credibility and professional image.
- Loss of Revenue: Unauthorized use can entitle the original creator to compensation, which can affect your financial results.
- Damaged relationships: Violations can strain professional relationships and reduce future opportunities.
- Reduced creativity: Relying on the work of others limits your own originality.
- Violation of innovation: Copyright infringement discourages creative investment, reducing the variety and quality of work available.
How Can I Prevent It?
Plagiarism
Always use quotation marks and ellipses when directly quoting from another source. When summarizing or paraphrasing, rephrase the material in your own words. Whether you quote or paraphrase, be sure to credit the original source! For additional help, contact the Writing Center at Ohio State at go.osu.edu/the-writing-center, or ask your instructor to review your assignment before submission if you suspect plagiarism.
Copyright Infringement
There are several ways to legally use copyrighted material:
- Check to see if your use qualifies under a legal exception, such as fair use.
- Comply with any license terms or terms of use provided.
- Ask the copyright holder for permission to use the material.
Example of Plagiarism And Copyright Infringement
Plagiarism and copyright infringement are different issues. You can plagiarize without infringing copyright, and you can infringe copyright without plagiarizing. Although they are different, both can happen at the same time.
Example: Plagiarism, not copyright infringement
You copy a few sentences verbatim from Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" for a report on evolution but do not cite the work or mention the author. This is plagiarism because you are presenting someone else's work as your own. It is not copyright infringement because the copyright on "On the Origin of Species" has expired, making it public domain.
Example: Copyright Infringement, not plagiarism
You create a website to share important information and use online images to make it more attractive. You cite the source of each image. This is not plagiarism because you are giving credit to the creators. However, it may still be copyright infringement because online images are protected even without a copyright notice, and you are reproducing and distributing them without permission. You can avoid infringement by using images in the public domain or properly licensed, such as under Creative Commons.
Example: Both Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement
You post a recently published short story by your favorite author on your blog and claim it as your own. This is considered plagiarism because you are taking credit for someone else's work, and copyright infringement because you are distributing protected work without permission.
Example: Neither Plagiarism nor Copyright Infringement
You include brief excerpts from academic articles in a research paper and provide references for each. This is not plagiarism because you acknowledge the original authors. It is also not a copyright violation because the use of brief quotations in research generally falls under fair use, which is a legal exception in U.S. copyright law.
Conclusion
In summary, plagiarism and copyright infringement are related but distinct issues of intellectual property misuse. Plagiarism occurs when someone presents another person’s work as their own, while copyright infringement involves the use of copyrighted material without permission. Plagiarism checkers act as effective tools to combat both plagiarism and copyright infringement, promote ethical content creation, and protect intellectual property rights. To maintain integrity in academic and professional settings, it is important to understand these concepts and proactively use plagiarism checkers. By following proper referencing practices and respecting copyright rules, individuals and organizations can foster a culture of honesty and creativity in today’s digital environment.