Justifying Plagiarism

A comment was made recently with words to the effect that we shouldn't care if someone makes a practice of plagiarism if they aren't making money off the plagiarized material. That covers a wide body of work from college term papers to blog entries to articles submitted for non-payment. But is it true? Should we turn a blind eye when someone steals other people's work if the person doing it isn't making serious money from the act? This article is an attempt to refute that cavalier attitude towards plagiarism.

What is Plagiarism? - Plagiarism is taking words found in print or on the internet and presenting them as if you, yourself, thought those words up all by lonely yourself. If you use a sentence or a paragraph word-for-word without using quotations marks and crediting the source, you are plagiarizing. If you do extensive paraphrasing without proper citations, you are plagiarizing. If you steal an entire article and put your own by-line on it, you are plagiarizing. Plagiarism isn't just a social courtesy someone breaks. It's against the law. It's unethical. In most cases, it's black and white with no gray areas in between.

Gains and Losses of Plagiarism - For college students, would-be famous writers or aspiring bloggers plagiarism can fill a short term goal but with long term, negative repercussions. Sure, it might get you through college with good grades using purchased term papers. You might make affiliate marketing money on your blog by prostituting ethical standards using material that isn't your own. You might even become a celebrated author by plagiarizing others before the world figures it out and exposes your dirty little under belly. But in the end what have you actually gained? College students who cheat their way through school come out unprepared for living authentic lives. The popular blogger or rising author gains nothing through plagiarism because there can be no genuine joy or sense of accomplishment when at any moment they could be caught. Money isn't worth much when your good name and reputation are destroyed.