Discussing Integrity Issues

Plagiarism Beyond the University

2008-09-30T20:34:30Z

CBC reports that Stephen Harper has been accused by the Liberals of plagiarizing the speeches of Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, and of the American President, George Bush (read the CBC story here)

Within the boundaries of our academic world, there are clear definitions of plagiarism by which we are all expected to abide. But do we live in a culture where respect for intellectual property no longer exists? Have we become complacent about the theft (or at the very least, lack of attribution) of other's words and thoughts, or has our culture changed in such a way that these values are antiquated and no longer applicable? What, if any, are the implications of absolving ourselves of crediting the work of others and passing it off as our own in the non-academic world?

Compensation for Intellectual Property in Current Era

2008-09-24T16:16:59Z

We are in an era where notions of intellectual property are changing. As creators of intellectual property, we seek recognition and respect of our property - that people cite or acknowledge us when using our property, that others do not claim ownership over our property, and that we have the right to limit (within reason) the ways in which our property can be used. Creators may also want to be compensated for use of their intellectual property. The compensation may be as simple as the "fame" accrued through public citation of the work, or it may be financial compensation ("fortune") that is sought.

]]> Until recently, one used to be able to hold on to things intellectual by controlling the copying of artifacts (when artifacts were either difficult or expensive to copy). Selling copies was one way to make money from intellectual property. We are quickly moving to an era where selling copies is no longer viable - things are just too easy to copy - and copying is impossible to restrict and monitor. Regulations to limit copying seem arbitrary and silly. Limiting copying would be akin to regulating limitations on our eyes or ears from looking at or listening to an artifact. Imagine being limited or charged for each time one listened to song or read a page. This is silly and not enforceable. Yet it is equally natural to share a song or a document with a friend or a community of friends - and regulations to prevent this are beginning to seem equally silly and not enforceable.

Being the owner of intellectual property may no longer entitle us to prevent copying or enable us to charge others for copies of our work. Yet as academics we still need to encourage a respect for intellectual property. Acknowledging (citing) the owner is one way to show this respect. Contributing to the reputation of the owner by adding our endorsement (citation) of the work is another thing we ought to do. Trying to re-sell or claim ownership over somebody else's intellectual property ought to be criminal. But having people refrain from making a personal copy is going to be troublesome.

So the challenge we face is how to reward (financially) owners of intellectual property in this new era. This is the question requiring creative answers.

This entry was submitted by Dr. Jim Greer, Director of the ULC.

Facebook Study Groups?

2008-09-09T21:23:15Z

In the late winter of 2008, CBC reported on a story about a Ryerson student who was accused of academic dishonesty because he was the administrator of a Facebook study group (read the story here).

Do you think the accusation was fair? At what point does academic peer support cross the line into the realm of academic dishonesty?