What are the difference between copyright infringement & plagiarism?

Introduction

Plagiarism and copyright infringement are two distinct types of intellectual property violations that are often confused. Plagiarism refers to the act of presenting someone else’s work as your own without giving proper credit or permission. On the other hand, copyright infringement specifically deals with the unauthorized use of someone else’s protected work, such as music, literature, or software. It is important to understand the differences between them to avoid misusing someone else’s work and to give proper credit where it is due. So in this blog we will discuss the difference between the two.

What is Copyright Infringement?  

Copyright infringement is the violation of someone else’s intellectual property right like copying her/his work. It’s just another word for theft or stealing someone else’s original work, particularly if a person has copied the work from the original creator and earns more rewards than the original owner. Any of the following actions concerning copyright material is a breach of public performance rights:

• Replicating it

• Distributing copies to the public

• Renting it out or giving it back to the public

• Spreading the information to a large audience

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is an act of presenting someone else’s work or ideas as one’s own without giving proper credit or permission. It is an ethical violation that is commonly enforced by academic institutions. Plagiarism can result in various consequences, ranging from receiving a failing grade to the revocation of a degree.

Types of Plagiarism

1. Direct Copying

This is the most blatant form of plagiarism, where you directly copy someone else’s work, word for word, without any proper citation. It’s important to use quotation marks and provide appropriate references when using someone else’s exact words.

2. Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing involves rephrasing someone else’s work in your own words. However, if you don’t give credit to the original source, it still counts as plagiarism. Properly cite the source even when you’ve reworded the content.

3. Self-Plagiarism

Using your own previously submitted work without proper citation is also a form of plagiarism. While you can build upon your own ideas, you must indicate that you’re referencing your previous work.

4. Mosaic Plagiarism

This involves combining various sources to create a new text without proper citation. Even if you’ve restructured the information, you still need to credit each source appropriately.

5. Accidental plagiarism

This type of plagiarism occurs when a person neglects to cite their sources, misquotes their sources, or unintentionally paraphrases a source by using similar words or sentence structure.

Difference Between Copyright Infringement & Plagiarism

Similarities between Copyright Infringement & Plagiarism

There are some similarities between plagiarism & copyright infringement which are as follows:

• Every first similarity is that both include unauthorized use of someone else’s work.

• The reputation & credibility of the individual committing plagiairsm/ infringement is compromised.

• Both include exclusive rights given to the original owner.

• In the digital age, both are more likely due to easier access to information.

• Proper acknowledgment of the original owner is necessary in both instances.

Summary

In the context of intellectual property violations, it is important to differentiate between plagiarism and copyright infringement. While copyright infringement includes the unlawful use of works that are protected by copyright laws, plagiarism means using someone else’s ideas or work as your own without giving them proper credit. Copyright infringement is illegal and punishable by law, whereas plagiarism has ethical and academic consequences.

Suggested Read :

Rights of Copyright Owners

Differences between copyright and patent

Trademark vs Copyright vs Patent

Importance of Copyright Protection

Difference between Trademark and Copyright