Although plagiarism is not a misdemeanor or a civil law, plagiarism is illegal if it violates an author`s intellectual property rights, including copyright or trademark. For example, a copyright holder may sue a plagiarism judge in federal court for copyright infringement. The plagiarist, on the other hand, may be required to pay the copyright holder of the plagiarized works the amount he or she actually lost as a result of the offence, in addition to the payment of legal fees. In journalism, plagiarism is considered a violation of journalistic ethics and reporters caught in the act of plagiarism should generally expect disciplinary measures ranging from suspension to termination of employment. [41] Some people who have plagiarized in academic or journalistic contexts claim that they unwittingly plagiarized by not repeating quotations or giving the corresponding quotation. While plagiarism in science and journalism has a centuries-old history, the development of the Internet, where articles appear as electronic text, has made it much easier for the physical act of copying the work of others. [42] In academia, plagiarism is generally considered by students to be a very serious offence, which can lead to penalties such as an erroneous grade for the task, the whole course or even expulsion from the institution. [15] The seriousness with which academic institutions deal with student plagiarism can be mitigated by the realization that students may not fully understand what plagiarism is. A 2015 study showed that students who were new to university did not even have a good understanding of the basic requirements, as is attributed to sources in written academic work, but students were very confident that they understood what reference and plagiarism were. [58] These same students also had an indulgent view of how plagiarism should be punished. Madonna is not the first artist and probably won`t be the last to be accused of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a confusing subject and can often occur without the artist`s knowledge until it is too late.

Not all cases of plagiarism are the result of deliberate intent to defraud. Sometimes students may refrain from taking quote details to the note, or they are really unaware of the reference to conventions. However, these excuses do not provide a safe protection against accusations of plagiarism. Even in cases where plagiarism was neither premeditated nor reckless, there can still be an academic sanction for bad practice. The university considers exam plagiarism to be a serious matter. Cases are investigated and penalties can range from withdrawal of the mark to expulsion from the university depending on the severity of the incident. Even if plagiarism is unintentional, there may be a sanction. The forms of plagiarism listed above are potentially disciplinary offences as part of formal assessment requirements. With technological advances, the publication scenario has also changed. Today, publication is much more convenient, resulting in an increase in the rate of plagiarism.

Many students are interested in copying items only to write themselves. Ruth Graham quotes T. S. Eliot: “Imitate immature poets; Stealing mature poets.