Understanding what constitutes plagiarism should include a general
understanding of copyright.
What is Copyright?
A copyright is simply a term that describes who has the right to
make copies of a certain document. It applies to anything that was
created in some tangible form. Take note that plagiarism can in fact occur over
an idea. You can plagiarize an idea, whether it is written or spoken.
Copyright, however, only applies to actual documents, such as written documents,
tapes, CD's, clothing, or anything that can be looked at or held.
Facts, as with plagiarism, are free to public use. For example, "Six
plus six equals twelve," cannot be copyrighted because it is not a
creative expression; it is common knowledge.
Keep in mind that any creative work, from the moment it is created, is
technically copyrighted. The moment you write a poem, your poem is copyrighted,
though you can choose to apply for a standard copyright. It is important to
consider this fact, because any time you see something that is written, whether
it be on a t-shirt, in a book, a post-it note, or on the Internet, it is
technically copyrighted. If you were to duplicate that work, i.e. make a copy
of it, you are engaging in copyright infringement unless you have the
permission, i.e. the right to do so from the original copyright holder.
The Internet and Copyright
Remember that copyright laws apply to the Internet. If you are going to post
an article on your website, even if you properly document and cite the reference,
you can be held accountable for copyright infringement. Many authors are paid
for their articles to be published. People usually pay the author for a
copyright. When you post an article, graphic, or otherwise on your site, you
are doing so freely and at the expense of the author who would normally be paid
to have that work published on someone's website. In short, if you come across
an article that does not specifically give permission to be reprinted for free,
contact the author and ask for permission to use the article before posting it
anywhere else.