Copyright & Plagiarism
Copyright protects original creative works (text, images, code, music) from being copied without permission. Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work as your own — even by accident.
Learning Objectives
- 12.2.1.7 Describe copyright and the consequences of plagiarism
Conceptual Anchor
The Art Gallery Analogy
If an artist paints a picture, they own it (copyright). You can look at it in a gallery, but you can't take a photo and sell prints. If you copy the painting and claim you painted it — that's plagiarism. If you copy and sell it — that's copyright infringement.
Rules & Theory
Copyright
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Legal right that gives creators exclusive control over use of their work |
| What's protected? | Text, images, music, videos, software code, databases |
| Automatic? | Yes — copyright exists as soon as a work is created (no registration needed) |
| Duration | Typically life of creator + 50–70 years (varies by country) |
| Symbol | © (e.g., © 2025 mr. TEA) |
Types of Software Licenses
| License | Can Use? | Can Modify? | Can Sell? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proprietary | With purchase/license | No | No |
| Open Source | Yes (free) | Yes | Depends on license |
| Freeware | Yes (free) | No (source not available) | No |
| Creative Commons | Yes (with conditions) | Depends on CC type | Depends on CC type |
Plagiarism
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Direct copying | Copy-pasting text without quotation marks or citation |
| Paraphrasing without credit | Rewriting someone's ideas in your words without citing the source |
| Self-plagiarism | Reusing your own previous work as new work |
| Mosaic plagiarism | Mixing copied phrases from multiple sources into your text |
Consequences of Plagiarism
| Context | Consequences |
|---|---|
| School/university | Zero on assignment, academic probation, expulsion |
| Professional | Job loss, reputation damage, lawsuits |
| Legal | Copyright infringement: fines, court orders, criminal charges |
How to Avoid Plagiarism
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Quote | Use quotation marks and cite the source |
| Paraphrase + cite | Rewrite in your own words AND give credit to the original author |
| Reference list | Include a full bibliography at the end of your document |
| Use plagiarism checker | Tools like Turnitin, Grammarly, or SmallSEOTools |
Fair Use / Fair Dealing
You CAN use small portions of copyrighted material for education, criticism, news reporting, or research — but you must always provide proper attribution. This is called "fair use" (USA) or "fair dealing" (UK/KZ).
Common Pitfalls
"It's Free Online, So It's Not Copyrighted"
Just because something is freely available online does NOT mean it's free to use. Most online content IS copyrighted. Look for a license (Creative Commons, etc.) before using it.
Tasks
Define copyright and list 4 types of work it protects.
Explain the difference between open source and proprietary software licenses.
A student copies 3 paragraphs from a website into their project, changes a few words, and doesn't cite the source. Is this plagiarism? Explain with reference to the types of plagiarism.
Self-Check Quiz
Q1: Does copyright require registration?
Q2: What is the difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement?
Q3: Name 3 ways to avoid plagiarism.