Do you often copy-paste information from the internet into your work? If yes, it is not far when you will put yourself in dire situations. Yes, you heard it right. Remember, everything you read online is not free to use for personal purposes.
Every information you encounter online belongs to someone who owns its copyright. Don’t know what copyright is? It is the ownership of content given to creators. It provides them with the authority to control the use of their information.
Copying others’ content, either intentionally or inadvertently, leads to plagiarism. And plagiarizing your work means violating copyright laws. This violation can have severe legal implications you are most likely unaware of. So, make sure you read this article, as it covers the possible legal consequences of plagiarism and effective ways to avoid them.
Legal Outcomes Of Plagiarism
No matter whether you copy the content of others knowingly or accidentally, plagiarism comes with legal outcomes in both cases. Among them, here are some serious ones.
DMCA Takedown
A DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown is a powerful weapon against copyright violations. It authorizes content creators to protect their intellectual property by acting against infringers.
When you commit plagiarism, you breach the rights of the original creator. This infringement can subject you to a DMCA takedown. When someone files this takedown, online platforms and search engines take immediate action to stop the violation.
You may be asked to remove the copyright-protected content from your online profiles and websites. In severe cases, your digital accounts and website may be banned temporarily or permanently for breaking copyright regulations.
Academic Consequences
Academia has strict principles regarding plagiarism. Institutions and professors highly discourage scraping content from others. They want their students to complete their academic writing tasks independently; otherwise, they punish students differently.
On finding stolen content in assignments, teachers may ask you to make revisions until the removal of all plagiarized text. If your work looks too much like that of well-known authors or other students, your teachers might get upset and give you very low grades.
If you plagiarize your work every time, this repetition may lead to your permanent suspension from the institution. That’s how plagiarism can ruin your academic journey.
Financial Penalties
Another dreadful implication of plagiarism is financial penalties. Such punishments are usually imposed on content thieves who profit financially from their thefts. In this case, as an infringer, you must return the earnings to the copyright owner.
The situation worsens if the original author bears any monetary damages due to content theft. In this scenario, you not only have to return the profits but also pay massive fines to cover the loss of the respective content creator.
As a student, beginner, or expert, facing monetary sanctions can be challenging. These penalties can result in an added financial burden on your shoulders.
How To Avoid Plagiarism And Its Implications?
To prevent plagiarism, first commit to producing your content. Second, follow the ethical practices mentioned below to keep yourself safe.
Check Content Originality
Despite your efforts to avoid copy-paste, your content may sometimes accidentally resemble that of others, resulting in accidental plagiarism. That’s why, before submitting to teachers or uploading to the internet, ensure your content is completely original.
Since it is very hard to manually determine the possible matching source, it is better to check plagiarism online. A powerful plagiarism checker can quickly determine whether your content is similar.
A plagiarism detector deeply scans and compares your content with millions of other sources. Then, it pinpoints each plagiarized sentence. So, you can easily remove or revise those lines to make them unique.
Cite Every Source Properly
Sometimes, you must source content from experts to strengthen your arguments. In such cases, ensure that you make fair use of the information. The best way to use existing content honestly while avoiding plagiarism is by citing the sources.
Therefore, whenever you borrow even a single line from any author, make it a habit to credit the author. This reflects your intellectual honesty and keeps you safe from facing any plagiarism-related legal implications.
If you have multiple authors to credit, maintain their records so you don’t accidentally cite any source.
To Sum Up
To put it in a nutshell, plagiarism can be a nightmare for you, as it may ruin your academic or professional career. It can be even worse, from losing your website and credibility to facing monetary sanctions. However, ensuring uniqueness in your content and crediting all authors helps prevent these dreadful consequences.
