Today the problem of plagiarism is very topical, as with the drastic increase in internet usage for different purposes, the number of pieces of intellectual property is also increasing. Internet and texts and pictures of different authors are used for studying, scientific research, which is why it is very important for people to be aware of what plagiarism means and how not to violate the copyright.
Plagiarism can be defined as an intentional attribution of authorship to someone else's product of literature, science, art, invention or rationalization invention (Blum 15). Such actions are subject to criminal and civil liability according to the laws of each specific country. In my viewpoint, stealing and usurping someone else's work is not good. Still, obviously not everyone understands it.
For example, there are people who can come up with something, and they themselves can implement the idea. There are also people who cannot think of anything, but can perfectly replicate what someone came up with. Finally, there are people who cannot think of anything and cannot repeat anything – they are excellent performers and helpers. However, any person is constantly developing and thus, he/she wants something more out of life. In this case, he/she can begin to imitate and copy more talented and successful colleagues. In other words – learn something.
There seems to be just the crux of the matter: some people, learning any craft, begin to make their own creations using the accumulated experience of previous generations, while others still remain incapable of creativity. These kinds of people because of their psychological problems try to pass off the labor of others as their own, so as not to seem worse than others, or simply to capitalize on this. I believe that the desire not to seem worse than others pushes people to such actions. We have to face this phenomenon in our lives quite often.
Naturally, the geniuses are very few, albeit in their lives and activities there are found curiosities. For example, concurrent invention of wireless data transmission by Russian scientist Popov and Italian radio technician G. Markoni (White 115). Nevertheless, as in science and technology, all inventions and discoveries are promoted and recorded, to steal any idea or principle of operation is not possible.
Still, in the field of art, people who are less gifted, tend to take other people's ideas and pass them off as their own. Sometimes reworking some parts, and sometimes even not hesitating, just subscribing their name under the labor of others. An interesting story in this regard took place with very popular in the past Lambada melody, the authorship of which belonged to a not very well-known composer (White 145). His new composition remained almost unnoticed for some time, but after a while became a hit, and won many countries on all continents. Its popularity is owed to two enterprising young people who saw in this composition what others somehow did not notice. They made a new arrangement by changing the composition itself a bit; giving thus tunes a new life. When this piece of music was bringing fabulous profits, for the author it was not difficult to prove in court his authorship and to sue businesses tens of millions of dollars.
As for the sphere of media, I think that plagiarism is very similar to a wound on the body of journalism. The origin of this wound is without a doubt: the neglect of basic hygiene rules. Instead of running around the cities and villages to collect useful information for society, correspondents of some publications by sedentary lifestyles and reading materials of colleagues are making a lot painful trouble. Instead of changing this unhealthy lifestyle for useful – they are combing trouble, causing a wounded body. It can be said about the authors who use the news, information and works by other authors, available on the Internet, which has become for many journalists kind of magic wand. However, here, as in any other case, we have a double-edged sword. One matter is just to download some exclusive material, changing the title and putting his/her signature, giving the material in print, and the other - to use creatively the necessary material, indicating its author and source. This should be always done correctly, without breaking the law and the rights of the author. Well, it is obvious that person stealing other people's work has all the signs of impotence to create something on his/her own.
Works Cited
Blum, Susan D. My word!: Plagiarism and college culture. Cornell University Press, 2011.
White, Harold Ogden. Plagiarism and Imitation Duri Cb: A Study in Critical Distinctions. Routledge, 2013.
