Creative Imitation or Plagiarism
What’s the difference between creative imitation and plagiarism?
Creative imitation is the process of modeling someone with more experience whose methods have proved successful. It is a starting place - an entry point, if you will, for a person to take off on his/her own. It is NOT plagiarism.
Read the definition of plagiarism -
The act of appropriating the literary composition of another author, or excerpts, ideas, or passages therefrom, and passing the material off as one’s own creation.
Plagiarism is theft of another person’s writings or ideas. Generally, it occurs when someone steals expressions from another author’s composition and makes them appear to be his own work.
There is a good post on Alex Mandossian’s blog dealing with this very issue. Alex teaches not to create but to improve. I agree. But there is a point where creative imitation becomes plagiarism and we are seeing it in action.
It’s happening to my friend, Jeff Herring - acknowledged world-wide as the article writing, article marketing, article submission, and ‘all things about articles’ expert - and guest blogger on Alex’s blog. Jeff’s words and products have been stolen and are being reproduced and sold as someone else’s own creation.
When you read Jeff’s post on Alex’s blog, read the comments (and leave one of your own - there and here) and see how some understand while others misunderstand the point. In order to understand the post, follow the link provided and understand that the words and products you see at that link are Jeff’s and Jeff’s alone. But, they are being represented as someone else’s. That is the very definition of plagiarism.
This can happen to you. As you read this post, remember that creative imitation CAN boost your productivity. Plagiarism can ruin your reputation and damage any trust you might have gained from your previous efforts.
cathy on September 24th, 2008 | Filed under Trust |
