What constitutes plagiarism?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/01/10/books.romancewriter.ap/index.html

To my mind, the two passages are too similar, down to wording and sentence structure as well as "tone" and point of view.

"Mirroring" and "re-writing" are specifically prohibited legally -- by the "end notes" one often finds, for instance, in news dispatches.

In my short foray in journalism at a Burmese language radio station, I tried to impress on my colleagues that you have to cite everything.

Otherwise it is plagiarism, whose meaning is -- passing off someone else's words or ideas as one's own.

I notice that sometimes interviewers do this --

but it needs to be prefaced by at least a phrase, "I read that ---, is this true?" Earlier you said that --"

It's born, I think, of vacuity and a desire to show off. I'm glad such software exists.

For instance, unless copyright has expired, or it's a folklore story, like say Beowulf, even taking a title of a poem, or re-casting a familiar story in another form (derivative work) -- requires permission and or (if in small parts) citation. Or paying the estate of a dead poet, for instance, for permission to use the title or phrase, even though titles are more murky.

I notice in journalism catchy titles are often lifted -- e.g. The Longest Day. But things can be accidents without malicious intent, such as the man who titled his autobiography Burmese Days, which is of course the title of the famous novel by George Orwell.

Check with an intellectual property lawyer. I used to think colleagues who were phobic about sharing pieces for critiquing in writing groups by email, were paranoid, and say, well, "put your copyright notice on it," (especially if the work was not that polished or good, excuse me!)

but then a famous writing teacher and a couple of screenwriters told us in class they had had entire screenplays and a movie option stolen and one of them is suing, so there are lots of unscrupulous people about.

What annoys me is friends who ask to read your work, then treat the manuscript cavalierly. Before they get it, they are panting in your ear -- then --

"We posted it back, we never received it, etc etc." One rich businesswoman was so cheap she did not post it back to me, and I only sent it to her because she said she would put on a charity performance to further the democracy cause in Burma, and my work had a "Burmese theme." I would have sent a SASE but she was in Europe. Besides, she was rich enough.

For all such people, a pox on you and your writing and your devious callous ways.

May you never get published or if published, be sued for large sums of money and lose your case. May your name be mired in mud.

A Burmese poet told me that in his cafe circle back home, there was someone who specifically wrote curses.

And a lawyer told me to always, "Put that little 'c' with a circle round it on your work."

Google "copyright."

Copyright Kyi May Kaung