page_title: Plagiarism
section_title: The history of the arts
hierarchical_section_title: Plagiarism / In the arts / The history of the arts
caption_attribution_description: English: Comparison of a woodblock print by Hiroshige (left) to its copy painted by van Gogh. Left, Utagawa Hiroshige: The Residence with Plum Trees at Kameido&#160;; Right, Vincent van Gogh: Japonaiserie, Flowering Plum Tree (after Hiroshige). Français&#160;: Comparaison de deux tableaux, un original d'Hiroshige et la copie de van Gogh
context_page_description: Plagiarism is the representation of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.
  Plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty and a breach of journalistic ethics. It is subject to sanctions such as penalties, suspension, expulsion from school or work, substantial fines and even incarceration. Recently, cases of "extreme plagiarism" have been identified in academia. The modern concept of plagiarism as immoral and originality as an ideal emerged in Europe in the 18th century, particularly with the Romantic movement.
  Plagiarism is not in itself a crime, but like counterfeiting fraud can be punished in a court for prejudices caused by copyright infringement, violation of moral rights, or torts. In academia and industry, it is a serious ethical offense. Plagiarism and copyright infringement overlap to a considerable extent, but they are not equivalent concepts, and many types of plagiarism do not constitute copyright infringement, which is defined by copyright law and may be adjudicated by courts.
  Plagiarism might not be the same in all countries.
context_section_description: Through all of the history of literature and of the arts in general, works of art are for a large part repetitions of the tradition; to the entire history of artistic creativity belong plagiarism, literary theft, appropriation, incorporation, retelling, rewriting, recapitulation, revision, reprise, thematic variation, ironic retake, parody, imitation, stylistic theft, pastiches, collages, and deliberate assemblages. There is no rigorous and precise distinction between practices like imitation, stylistic plagiarism, copy, replica and forgery. These appropriation procedures are the main axis of a literate culture, in which the tradition of the canonic past is being constantly rewritten.
  Ruth Graham quotes T. S. Eliot—"Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal. Bad poets deface what they take."—she notes that despite the "taboo" of plagiarism, the ill-will and embarrassment it causes in the modern context, readers seem to often forgive the past excesses of historic literary offenders.
caption: Comparison of a woodblock print by Hiroshige (left) to its copy by Vincent van Gogh
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