To make comparison easier, MOSS also highlights individual passages in programs that appear the same. The full check, which can take up to one day to process, is sent back to the lecturer. And for Gries, this is when the work begins. He then spend hours reviewing the flagged assignments to determine if cheating or plagiarism did in fact occur. It's not enough for the software to determine plagiarism.
Repeat offences tend to be dealt with much more harshly.
Depending on the seriousness of the plagiarism, students can face suspension or expulsion from the university. Students who think the penalty for plagiarism is excessively harsh should consider what would happen if they worked in private industry, suggested Clarke. A person found to be plagiarizing work would immediately be fired and escorted from the premises. In the multi-billion dollar software industry, companies are fiercely protective of their products and have been known to sue for copyright infringement and damages, he noted. An employee who attempts to pass off programs as their own puts the company at serious risk.