Plagiarism What is It?

ON THE Middle and HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL… What does plagiarism mean? What’s wrong with it? Why should anyone care? Whose responsibility is it? Some questions & ideas from www.gunnarswanson.com

PLAGIARISM means using someone else’s work without their permission, and taking credit for it. This includes drawing or painting from photographs that someone else has created.

Let’s think about it…. At the middle and high school level we often use pictures from books and magazines and other sources for inspiration. In an educational setting, this is acceptable as long as it is used as a teaching tool, and not claimed as an original.

This high school work was selected by judges for the ALL STATE HIGH SCHOOL ART Exhibition Florida State Fair 2005

Here is a Full-page Advertisement (photograph) in COSMO GIRL Magazine, 2005

WHY SHOULD ANYONE CARE? Is it wrong? Is it theft? Is it fraud? Is it an insult to creative autonomy and the creative spirit? Is it a degradation of the design profession? What harm does it do?

To copy a piece of artwork allows you to discover the working methods of the original artist. You learn such things as how to blend colors and use the brush for certain effects… BUT… To pass the work off as your own is theft. It should be put away, and never exhibited or entered into a competition, or sold.

The following message was posted on the page with this image ….. The TOKYOPOP website invites amateur manga artists to post their latest works. The following message was posted on the page with this image ….. Sunday, September 24, 2006 by Shyru

I'm sorry, but could you please remove this I'm sorry, but could you please remove this?You are only allowed to upload content that you own the rights to (IE created) or have received permission to post (With citation). Posting work that you found online, scanned from another source, or generally didn't completely draw is against the Terms of Service. ` This image has been flagged. Reason - Copyright Infringement You may not upload any content that you did not create without permission and citation. This includes Photoshopped and Edited images that use work that is not your own. Please only upload your own work, thank you. "TOKYOPOP does not permit copyright infringing activities and infringement of intellectual property rights on its Website. TOKYOPOP reserves the right to remove Content and User Submissions. TOKYOPOP may also terminate a User's access."

Selected 3rd Place in the Regional U.S. Congressional Competition 2006

Colorado Institute of Art Image in a catalog Colorado Institute of Art Airbrush Illustration by Gregory Osborne, Visual Arts Communications major

Is this a plagiarized idea? (The student claimed he had never seen the image on the right, and except for the “water”, he had photographed the other images.)

Last year, a student submitted the following digital photographs for a grade in his photography class. The Instructor was suspicious……

Another student quietly alerted the Instructor to check Microsoft’s Screen Savers where he found the images.

RULE OF THUMB: If you copy a camel (photograph) from National Geographic it must be changed and manipulated in such fashion that it conveys a personal vision that is unique. From www.painterskeys.com

If you copy a camel from a photo you took yourself or legitimately own, then you can do anything you want with it. If you use a photo as a resource it must be substantially changed in the service of a personal voice.

Definitions: Forgery = a work with intent to deceive Copy = a reproduction of another work without intent to deceive. Clone = an imitation of someone else’s style

If you clone or appropriate technique or even subject matter, you might consider writing an acknowledgement on the back.

The Question of COLLAGE In collage, found elements are reused in their original form, but with new context. This practice escapes the claim of fraud in that the source is evident. A collage a collection of borrowed elements that are used in the service of a personal vision. www.gunnarswanson .com

How do we help students avoid this?

If you are in doubt about whether something is “legal,” it is often the best decision NOT to use the work.

When a Plagiarized Piece Wins a Competition Is it the judges’ fault? Is it the students’ fault? Is it the teachers’ fault? What harm does it do?

Art Teachers have an awesome responsibility. In our business of image-making, we must also teach honesty, integrity, and respect for other artists’ property. There is no room for plagiarism in art.

Plagiarism is our issue! Powerpoint created by Patricia Lamb, Florida