The Price of Piracy and Plagiarism
Written by Cassie Licari & Dominique Houle on 21/07/10
By “piracy,” we don’t mean roaming the ocean on a ship looking for treasure! The type of piracy and counterfeiting we are talking about is intellectual property crime, which is the illegal usage, manufacturing and distribution of copyrighted products and/or trademarks. Essentially it means copying, creating and selling products that aren’t legally your own (RCMP). If you own intellectual property (copyright, trademark and/or patent), it is against the law for someone else to sell or distribute it without your permission (Intellectual Property Office). The main difference between “piracy” and “counterfeiting” is that piracy involves copyright violation, where as counterfeiting involves trademark violation (Intellectual Property Office).
Intellectual property crime could involve things such as bringing a video camera to a movie theatre and taping a movie, as well making and selling copies of this recording. Another example would be selling fake designer bags or knock-off Nike T-shirts.
Sharing music files online, or uploading music is in fact illegal. However, downloading songs from the internet for your personal use is not. Although, in some cases it may be considered copyright infringement, and you can be sued by an artist or recording company (RCMP). To see more examples of piracy and counterfeiting, click here.
Carrying out these activities can have serious legal consequences under the Criminal Code and the Copyright Act. These activities also affect the Canadian government, businesses and industries, because they lose money when people make and sell fake products, often forcing legitimate retail stores to close their doors (RCMP).
Some of the potential dangers of buying counterfeit products can involve electrical malfunctions and devices catching on fire, or products containing dangerous ingredients (RCMP). Click here to see more of the potential risks of purchasing counterfeit goods. If the product’s price is much lower than it should be, or if the product is packaged poorly and includes spelling mistakes, it may be counterfeit (RCMP). Check out this website for more ways you can identify counterfeit goods.
For more facts about counterfeit goods and for information about who to contact if you suspect a product may be counterfeit, check out this RCMP web page. You can also talk to a police officer for more information.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is essentially using someone else’s ideas or work and passing it off as your own, without giving that person proper credit. This includes things such as taking information (word for word) from a textbook, or paraphrasing a journal article where the wording is very similar. Some people are unaware that plagiarism can also include things such as ideas in oral presentations, or even buying an essay off of the internet (Concordia University). Many times, we don’t intentionally copy another person’s work or ideas. Sometimes we just don’t know the proper way of citing and referencing information to credit its appropriate source.
For example, in every online blog or resource that DEAL.org writes, we are careful to make sure that we give credit to every piece of information we use that is not our own. In doing so, we are sharing valuable information with you, and at the same time giving credit to those who provided the information and deserve it! Want to know more about how we avoid plagiarism? Ask us!
To see more examples of plagiarism, visit this website and click here to learn ways to properly cite resources. Most university websites also have information on plagiarism and proper ways to cite your sources.
If you are caught plagiarizing in high school, more often than not, teachers will help you better understand this issue and how to avoid it. It is important to learn how to cite your work and understand this topic now, because if you decide to attend university or college and are caught plagiarizing, they will not be as lenient (many universities will give the student an “F” in the course, or kick them out of the school altogether). Talk to a teacher at your school for more information on ways to avoid plagiarizing your work.
Bottom line: If you use information that is not your own, cite or reference it. An easy way to remember this would be to think to yourself, “Did I come up with this idea/information?” or “Was it me who came up with these facts or data?” If not – reference its rightful owner!
It’s always important to educate ourselves on the laws and regulations related to things that matter to us. The more we know, the better we will be able to make informed decisions. Being honest and fair with things that may not belong to you is the best way to show your true character!
Links
RCMP
RCMP : Reporting Intellectual Property Crime
Interpol
The Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network
Canadian Association Against Software Theft
International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition
inmovies : “The Hurt Locker” Lawsuit
Concordia University
plagiarism.org
One Reader Comment:
EricaJuly 21st
Piracy is addictive. I am not proud of it, but it’s become part of my daily life. Music, tv, movies, etc. Sometimes I download tv shows because they aren’t available in Canada anyway…