Better Writing 101: Protection against Plagiarism
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Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh Oct 2, 2008 |
Though the web supplies “free content” a writer’s words and ideas are exclusively their intellectual property. It is essential that writers understand the importance of protecting their work from being copied and credited to somebody else. Here are some free websites that may help you check to see if your work has been plagiarized.
This site allows the writer to copy the body of work into a text box and then choose what sites or what URLs the writer would like searched (this can include search engines such as Google, or if a writer suspects a particular site of copying their work, the writer can input that particular URL.) Finally, AC asks that a writer verify the check by inputting a code then running the search.
An extremely easy to use tool powered by plagiarism.org. All the writer needs to do is copy and paste the text into the text box and click submit.
This site is as easy to use as the last, but it offers a writer the chance to be a little more specific. Writers can choose to run a search “with quotes” or “without quotes”. Furthermore, duplicheck allows the writer to search the text against three separate search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN) thus ensuring the maximum coverage and protection.
What to do if you spot a copycat:
Contact the website or the web provider and request the removal of the content from their site. Believe it or not, most people don’t even realize that the work has been plagiarized and would rather avoid the hassle of legal troubles, thus they will probably gladly remove the information.
If the problem persists, call for back up. Doublecheck the copyright policies of your publisher and/or the website you write for to inform yourself of your rights. Oftentimes either a publisher will act on your behalf (after all they have a stake in your work as well) or the company will provide you with a standard “cease and desist”- type document to send to the offender. The mention of legal incrimination will serve as a major deterrent.
It may also work in a writer’s favour to use the above sites to see if some of your own writing is a copy. Accidental plagiarism is quite common, with so much information available it would be easy to mistake an idea or phrase as your own. Use the sites above to check that parts of your own work aren’t a copy of someone else’s. Protect your intellectual property and write safely.
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