What is at Stake in Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using somebody else's original ideas,work and/or words as your own. When you plagiarize, you are looking to take credit for something that isn't your own. This can become a problem particularly when there is money to be made. People and corporations should not be able to profit off of words or ideas that are a product of another individual. Not only are you taking money and credit for what is not your own, but you are also reinforcing a system of dishonesty. Defining exactly what constitutes plagiarism can be tricky. With the advancements in technology, so much free information is available to the public. This makes it easier to copy and edit something and claim it as your own. There are those who believe that plagiarism can be its own form of creativity. Building and adding on to a song that somebody else wrote can make it more interesting. The point, however, is that one must seek permission from the creator of the song in order to edit it or create a remix. There are those who believe that profit and honesty is at stake with plagiarism. However, there are those who believe that creativity is at stake.