It is a close kin of piracy. But while the software or content pirate does not bother to hide or alter the identity of the content's creator or the software's author - the plagiarist does. Plagiarism is, therefore, more pernicious than piracy. It is a close kin of piracy. But while the software or content pirate does not bother to hide or alter the identity of the content's creator or the software's author - the plagiarist does.
Plagiarism is, therefore, more pernicious than piracy.
The problem is especially severe in academia. The Internet only exacerbated this problem. The problem, though, is not limited to the ivory towers. The print media plagiarize. Individual journalists plagiarize, many with abandon.