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The Pros And Cons Of Plagiarism

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With the advent of computer technology and how much we use it as part of our daily lives, there is great opportunity for people to do good while there is also a great opportunity for people use it to benefit themselves at the expense of others. Ethical computing is a set of moral standards, right or wrong, pertaining to the use of a computer. Being morally ethical is being respectful of other computer users and their rights and properties and not using a computer to harm others or commits criminal activity. Although not ethical, technology can allow someone to steal, harm others, invade privacy and other illegal activities on a computer. These activities may benefit the user but harm and damage is being done to the recipient.

Plagiarism is a fraudulent act. It is stealing or passing off another person’s words or ideas as your own and not crediting the source from which it came. A copyright is a legal right for the maker of anything (music, pictures, books, papers, etc.) to have sole possession to make and sell those products. A copyright infringement is then the illegal production and publication of said goods without the authorization of the original maker.

One difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement is whether it is illegal or not. Plagiarism is not illegal according to the law but is more an issue of ethics. Certain vocations or institutions take the policy of plagiarism seriously. Depending on where this plagiarism occurs may determine whether someone may get reprimanded or fired from a job or as severe as getting kicked out of a school or university. A second difference between the two is plagiarism is generally defined as taken someone’s ideas and presenting ownership of them as your own without citing the original person. Copyright infringement is using a person’s work or intellectual property without their permission. Copyright infringement usually means lost revenue for the copyright holder.

You know you are plagiarizing if you steal another person’s ideas and pass them off as your without giving the original person citation as the originator of that idea. A person is violating copyright law by using, publishing and/or distributing work you did not create nor have

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