Plagiarism is a serious crime in both academic and non-academic fields across the world. As per the standard international laws of plagiarism, a person who copies the work of another person and uses it exactly as their own without giving credit to the original creator will have to face severe consequences. This creates the question ‘Why is plagiarism illegal by international laws?’ in the minds of several students.
If you are a student who would like to know why plagiarism is considered illegal and why your professors keep on instructing you to submit unique and original research papers, then continue reading this blog.
Here, we have discussed the various international legal standards for plagiarism and the consequences of copying. In addition to that, we have explained the importance of submitting a unique academic paper and the tips to avoid plagiarism in academic writing.
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the immoral practice of presenting other people’s original work as your own without their authorization, recognizing the original source, or providing proper credit. To put it in simple terms, plagiarism is an inappropriate use of information contained in works or old academic papers authored by another author.
In case, you compose an academic paper without in-text citations or a reference list, plagiarism detector software will readily detect the copied content. Furthermore, if the sentences you copied from a specific published source are detected, it will harm your reputation and lower your scores. Generally, replicating the original author’s ideas is considered stealing, and you will face legal consequences.
To avoid such unintended and deliberate acts of academic dishonesty, you must first understand the reference and citation standards. Also, to enhance the quality of your research work, you should ethically acknowledge the sources you chose to use by using any appropriate citation style.
Also Read: Learn How to Make Money with ChatGPT
Why is Plagiarism Illegal by International Laws?
Plagiarism is considered to be illegal for the following reasons.
- Typically, it is a theft because you are stealing the ideas of some other person.
- It is a fraud because, without the permission of the original creator, you are presenting the copied work as your work.
- All research papers, articles, books, and journals are subject to copyright protection. So, using any such material without giving credit or getting consent is a punishable offense. In this scenario, the copyright holder may bring the plagiarist to trial and impose monetary penalties on them.
Also Read: A Simple Guide on How to Write a Law Review Article
International Laws for Plagiarism
International Laws refer to the set of norms, policies, and regulations that are generally accepted as binding between states. These laws create ethical guidelines and a shared theoretical goal for governments in a variety of sectors including war and diplomacy, economic connections, and human rights. Plagiarism is included in human rights because it is a human right to file a complaint against someone who has just stolen ideas or the work of a person.
Usually, the international laws for plagiarism vary from country to country. However, some countries consider plagiarism legitimate and do not have international laws for it.
Here, let us look at the international plagiarism laws followed by major countries.
Plagiarism laws in the United States
Plagiarism is generally not considered illegal in the United States. There is no legal case or jail sentence for plagiarism because academic institutions must deal with it on their own. So, they devised certain laws for plagiarism as specified here.
- If a US institute detects plagiarism in students’ work, they may fail or receive lower academic scores.
- If the institute discovers plagiarism, then it has the right to impose a penalty, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
- They also have the right to revoke a student’s degree and even remove their name from the institute.
Plagiarism Laws in Canada
In Canada, according to the 1921 Copyright Act, plagiarism is illegal. This legislation states that only the original authors have the right to utilize their work unless they have granted permission to another person. However, if someone is detected using the work of other people without permission, then depending on the case, the following laws will be imposed.
- When Canadian academic institutions detect plagiarism in a student’s work, they have the authority to penalize pupils, not by punishing them physically, but by failing the subject.
- If plagiarism is present in someone’s work, the institute may impose penalties ranging from $100 to $5,000 for not obtaining permission or paying for the use of their work.
- If they violate any commercial infringement, which typically occurs between organizations (not for students), they may face fines ranging from $500 to $20,000.
- A person who violates copyright infringement work may face a fine of $1,000,000 or two years in prison.
- If an academic student’s work is found to be plagiarized, they may be permanently suspended from the institute or have their degree revoked.
Consequences of Plagiarism
Plagiarism has various implications depending on the context and scope of the act. Moreover, the consequences also vary widely for students, professional academics, bloggers and content creators, and journalists.
Here, let us look at the consequences of plagiarism in different sectors.
Academic
No matter whether you attend a university, college, or high school, your institution will take serious action against you if you plagiarize on assignments.
One of the most obvious effects of plagiarism on a student’s life is a failing grade. However, in addition to that, certain institutions could call for an academic committee hearing.
But, the outcomes will be the same regardless of the punishment your institute decides on. It includes failing the class, having to repeat the semester, being expelled, or being prohibited from enrolling again.
So, from the perspective of a student, it might consume all the hard work and time.
Professional
Many believe that as employees, they are in a “safe zone” when it comes to plagiarism. However, it even has a way of sending you penalties via mail. Now that we have alerted you to the seriousness of plagiarism’s consequences, let’s begin with the worst.
- Employers would not retain employees in a company that violates international business ethics because such behavior can damage a company’s reputation in the marketplace. Therefore, if you plagiarize in your work as an employee, you risk losing your job. This outcome is particularly typical for academics and researchers.
- If you are a writer who is a victim of plagiarism, then it may ruin your future publication opportunities.
- Plagiarism impacts the quality of work for freelancers and self-employed individuals as well. As a result, they risk damaging their reputations and losing future contract chances.
Indirect Consequences
The track record of plagiarized work is difficult to erase and appears everywhere. For example, people may sue you or your firm for copyright infringement.
Real-Life Examples of Consequences of Plagiarism
As stated above, people who commit plagiarism may face serious punishments. Here, let’s look at some real-life examples of plagiarism’s consequences.
- Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the German Defense Minister and Ph.D. holder resigned in 2011 after failing to properly credit the sources used in his research.
- Later, in 2011, the University of Bonn faculty examined “Jorgo Chatzimarkakis'” doctoral thesis and discovered sufficient evidence to revoke his doctorate.
- In addition to the well-known Germans, several individuals in North America also experienced job loss as a result. Among the well-known figures are American historian Stephen E. Ambrose and the Columnist for the New York Times Maureen Brigid Dowd.
Also Read: 190 Best Law Research Topics and Ideas
Know How to Avoid Plagiarism
If you know how to avoid plagiarism, then you will never experience any of the consequences listed above. However, before moving on to the “how” of avoiding it, you must first find the instances of plagiarism in your work by using a plagiarism detector.
If the plagiarism checker detects evidence of plagiarism in your work, focus on those traces rather than rewriting the entire piece. By doing this, you can save time.
Tips for Preventing Plagiarism
If you don’t want to get trapped in plagiarism issues, then follow these tips. It will help you to avoid plagiarism in writing.
- Cite the source
- Paraphrase your work
- Quote the information
- Eliminate the part if it is not important
Conclusion
Hopefully, from this blog, you will have obtained the answer to the question ‘Why is plagiarism illegal by international laws?’ Also, you would have gained knowledge of the international legal standard law for plagiarism. If you want to escape from the consequences of plagiarism, make sure to compose your paper with proper citations.
