Thanks to advanced technology, people can no longer get away with copying someone else?s work. Whilst plagiarism is commonly associated with students across all levels of education, plagiarism is very much a thing in the business world too, and some well-known individuals have been forced to face the devastating consequences of their scandalous actions.
Whilst a plagiarism detector can make it more difficult to commit the crime without being caught, plagiarism is yet to become a thing of the past. Here, we’re taking a look at some of Europe’s biggest plagiarism cases, and how you can avoid the firing line when presenting your own work.
What Is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is quite simply the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and not appropriately crediting the original owner. By presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, you are putting yourself at risk of a plagiarism accusation, which can have life changing consequences, from your work being destroyed to expulsion and legal action.
Biggest Plagiarism Cases In Europe
Now that you understand what plagiarism is, we’re taking a look at the top plagiarism cases that made waves across Europe.
- Etienne Klein
In December 2016, a popular French physicist was accused of plagiarising colleagues and famous writers, and to say that the accusations of serial plagiarism against one of France’s best-known scientists made a stir would certainly be an understatement. Despite acknowledging his mistakes, Klein stated that he didn’t knowingly commit plagiarism, highlighting the importance of understanding what plagiarism is, what is considered to be plagiarised and how to avoid getting caught in the trap.
- Ed Sheeran
Even celebrities such as Ed Sheeran battle plagiarism in the music industry. Sheeran in particular was settled out of court over claims that his hit track Photograph was copied ‘note for note’ from Matt Cardle’s song Amazing. Even though Sheeran insisted that the song was simply inspired by taking a ? you guessed it ? photograph of his loved one, he was still forced to settle a $20m (£16m) plagiarism lawsuit. Ouch!
- Mr Suaraz
Also in December 2016, the chancellor of a Spanish university where students were warned that their work would be closely monitored for plagiarism has been accused of plagiarising himself, copying other people’s work without giving the appropriate credit. The case caused him to be withdrawn from his chairmanship on a national education commission, and was almost forced to resign at the time the story was leaked.
How Can I Avoid Plagiarism?
In order to avoid plagiarism, it’s paramount that you avoid copying more than two words in a row from the passage you have found, whether it is online or in book, newspaper or magazine. Should you decide to use more than two words of the text together, it’s of high importance that you quotation marks and correctly cite the source.
In order to avoid plagiarism remember to put the information you have found into your own worms and cite your source by following the document formatting guidelines provided to you. Moreover, when quoting a source, you must copy the quote word-for-word. After all, no one wants to be misquoted, regardless of their seniority!
