Plagiarism vs. Copyright Infringement
Scholarly Communications Posted: September 15th, 2016The new semester is here. In the classroom, students read their syllabi and notice the policy sections.
Plagiarism is often mentioned in one or more sections, such as ones titled Honesty, Academic Misconduct, or Cheating.
Copyright infringement may also be mentioned, either together with plagiarism or in its separate section, such as Copyright Statement.
In the hurry and excitement of “syllabus day,” these terms may blur together. Plagiarism and copyright infringement are often confused or the terms are accidentally interchanged. They are different, and they have different consequences.
Our Research Guides discuss plagiarism and copyright. Rick Anderson also describes the differences clearly in a recent Library Journal article. Here is a summary of differences: