The Meriam-Webster Online Dictionary describes plagiraism as literary theft (Plagiarism.org, 2010). It is the use of the ideas or works of another without giving them due credit. U.S. Law considers this to be theft of intellectual property, a fraudulent act which is a violation of copyright law.
The copyright page of the U.S. Government ( http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#501) suggests legal action as penalty for infringing on someone else's property. An injured party can claim damages such as loss of profit and court fees, but this can also be a criminal charge with fines and imprisonment. This is the law that covers downloading, copying and selling illegal music and movies, among other things. This iact s not taken lightly. Recall how Napster, the file-sharing site, was taken to court for sharing copyrighted information. This also happens with Domain names and company names.
However, many schools find non-criminal ways to punish a student for plagiarism, such as expulsion or withdrawal of academic credits. Sharon Stoerger provides us with a wealth of articles involving plagiarism that she prepared for the University of Illinois (2009). There is a case of a large number of students failling a course for buying term papers. Browsing through this site will show you the breadth of the issue.
If someone were to copy my work, I would be inclined to inform the boss or the teacher of the incident. However, I also write lyrics as a hobby. If I found that someone had published my lyrics, I would take legal action, as my works are copyrighted.
To keep yourself free of these charges, be sure to use quotations when quoting directly, and always cite your sources.
References:
Copyright Infringement (n.d.). U.S. Government. Retrieved September 16, 2010 from http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#501.
Plagiarism.org (2010). What is plagiarism? Retrieved September 16, 2010 from http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_what_is_plagiarism.html.
Stoerger (2009). Plagiarism. Retrieved September 16, 2010 from http://web-miner.com/plagiarism.
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