Home
>
Writing
>
Is Someone Plagiarizing Your Work?

Is Someone Plagiarizing Your Work?

About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately attracted my attention. The title wasidentical to the title of an article I wrote and whichwas published in 'WebProNews' in May 1999.

"Probably just a coincidence", I thought to myself,and kept reading. But the first paragraph stopped mein my tracks. It was quite clearly plagiarized from myarticle. As I kept reading I recognized sentence aftersentence that had been lifted from my article and thenmodified slightly.

The whole article was plagiarized. I could hardlybelieve it. As the English say, I was 'gob-smacked'.

------------------------------What Is Plagiarism?------------------------------

'Plagiarism' comes from the Latin word 'plagiarius', akidnapper. Here are two dictionary definitions ofplagiarism:

'[to] take (the work or idea of someone else)

and pass it off as one's own' (Concise Oxford

Dictionary, Third Edition, 1999).

'to appropriate ideas, passages etc. from another

work or author' (Collins Dictionary of the English

Language, ed. P. Hanks 1979).

Plagiarism can be done in many ways, but the mostcommon technique is to paraphrase someone else's words.

Here's an example:

Original:

"And if you've matched the ezine to the product you'reselling, you've reached your target audience."

Plagiarized version:

"If you have correctly matched the ezine or newsletterto the product you're selling, then you will havereached your target audience."

As you can see, the plagiarist has simply taken theoriginal and then replaced the phrase 'you've matched'with the phrase 'you have correctly matched', insertedthe words 'or newsletter', and replaced the word'you've' with the words 'then you will have'.

Part of the reason that plagiarism is so rampant onthe Internet is that many people genuinely believethat it's okay to take someone else's writing, make afew changes, and then present it as their own.

----------------------------------Is Plagiarism a Crime?----------------------------------

As far as I know plagiarism is not a crime in mostcountries, and this is probably because plagiarism isso difficult to define. How many words does aplagiarist have to substitute and rearrange before thecopied version ceases to be a copy of the original?

This is why plagiarism is much more difficult to dealwith than copyright theft. A copyright thief simplysteals your work, lock-stock-and-barrel. A plagiariststeals your work and disguises it as their own.

But while plagiarism may not be a crime, it is heavilysanctioned in professions that are based on thewritten word. I know of one professor of sociology wholost his job almost overnight because he plagiarizedsomeone else's work. And in journalism theconsequences of being exposed as a plagiarist would bethe same.

Unfortunately, internet plagiarism is flourishing.There's now a whole industry that supplies collegestudents with 'model' term papers for the purpose ofplagiarism. Here are just some of the websites thatare part of this industry:

School Suckshttp://www.schoolsucks.com/

Other People's Papershttp://www.oppapers.com/

Evil House of Cheathttp://www.cheathouse.com/

But the plagiarism industry has spawned anotherindustry: websites and software designed to detectplagiarism. One such software was developed byturnitin.com (www.turnitin.com) and plagiarism.org(www.plagiarism.org).

This is how it works: the software makes a 'digitalfingerprint' of a submitted document using anelaborate set of algorithms. That fingerprint is thenchecked against a database that contains over 1billion publicly-available web pages. Plagiarism.orgthen produces an 'originality report' that gives theuser an index of how original the submitted paper was,and whether it falls above or below the 'plagiarismthreshold'.

This software, however - while an excellent tool forcollege professors - probably wouldn't help writersfind out if their work has been plagiarized.

----------------------------------------What Can You Do About It?----------------------------------------

The Internet is so vast, chances are you wouldn't knowif someone had plagiarized your work. I only discoveredthat my work had been plagiarized because the 'author'sent his plagiarized article to me for publication inmy own newsletter.

But if you do discover that someone has plagiarizedone of your articles, you could do what I did.

I immediately contacted the author of the 'article'and requested that he email everyone to whom he hadsent the article, explaining that it was plagiarized,and that they should on no account publish it. I addedthat if he did not withdraw the article fromcirculation I would contact his web host and themoderators of any lists that distributed the article.

The author replied within a few hours and admittedthat the similarity between the 2 articles was "VERYuncanny". He said he had no idea "how they could be sosimilar". But after a few emails, he did withdraw thearticle.

In a way, it's a compliment when someone plagiarizesyour work: it means you're writing good stuff. Butthat's little consolation. If you make your livingfrom writing on the Internet, plagiarism could be thegreatest threat to your livelihood.

------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------

green cleaning service Glencoe ..

In The News:

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.

Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.

Fake airline texts claiming flight cancellations are targeting travelers with convincing scams. Learn how cybercriminals steal personal data and credit card info.

Discover how iOS 26's new Adaptive Power feature automatically extends iPhone battery life by learning your usage patterns and adjusting performance intelligently.

New TikTok malware campaign tricks users into running PowerShell commands that download Aura Stealer, which steals credentials and authentication tokens.

Gaia Family offers fixed upfront pricing for IVF cycles with unlimited embryo transfers and financial protection, partnering with over 100 U.S. fertility clinics.

The Jetsons Act aims to position Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced air mobility by establishing regulations for hybrid ground-air vehicles.

Fake Geek Squad invoice emails are targeting users with convincing charges and urgent phone numbers to steal personal information and money.

Fox News Digital's artificial intelligence newsletter digs into a robot in Russia that faceplanted, George Clooney's alarm and OpenAI's rivalry with the New York Times.

Major data breach at Conduent exposes personal information of 10+ million people. Government contractor hit by cyberattack affecting Medicaid, child support systems.

Texas startup Janta Power raises $5.5M for innovative vertical solar towers that generate 50% more energy than traditional panels while using just one-third the land.

NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft launched aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket Thursday afternoon from Cape Canaveral, beginning their journey to Mars with arrival expected in 2027.

Learn how to set email reminders on iPhone and Android so you never forget to reply again. Simple built-in features help you stay organized and on top of messages.

Discover how Apple's passkeys revolutionize Mac security by replacing vulnerable passwords with biometric authentication and encryption for ultimate protection.

New survey reveals 78% of parents fear AI scams targeting their kids, yet nearly half haven't discussed these threats. Learn why this dangerous gap exists.

Chrome now autofills passport and driver's license info automatically. Google's latest browser update adds official document support with encryption and user control.

Scammers impersonate Department of Veterans Affairs employees claiming veterans owe money, but real VA communications only direct to VA.gov or official channels.

The AltoVolo Sigma hybrid-electric aircraft flies 500 miles at 220 mph while operating 80% quieter than helicopters, featuring safety systems and compact design.

Google search scam alert: fake customer service numbers can give scammers remote control of your phone. Learn how to spot these traps and protect yourself.

Is Someone Plagiarizing Your Work?

Writing