"If you copy from one author, it's plagiarism; if you copy from many, it's research."
— Wilson Mizner
Cropper: In short, sir, Mrs Ogg seems to believe that writing a book largely involves copying things out of other books and pasting them onto any bits of plain paper she can find, then signing them "G. Ogg" in crayon.
Goatberger: You're telling me that Mrs Ogg has simply recycled bits of more than a dozen books?
Cropper: In a word, yes.
Goatberger: The cunning old biddy! Then it counts as research and is perfectly OK. Don't worry about it.
Goatberger: You're telling me that Mrs Ogg has simply recycled bits of more than a dozen books?
Cropper: In a word, yes.
Goatberger: The cunning old biddy! Then it counts as research and is perfectly OK. Don't worry about it.
—- The publishers of Nanny Ogg's Cookbook
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
"Your theory of a donut-shaped universe is intriguing, Homer. I may have to steal it."
— Stephen Hawking, The Simpsons, "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
Plagiarize!
Let no one else's work evade your eyes
Remember why the good Lord made your eyes
So don't shade your eyes
But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize —
Only be sure always to call it please "research".
Let no one else's work evade your eyes
Remember why the good Lord made your eyes
So don't shade your eyes
But plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize —
Only be sure always to call it please "research".
— "Lobachevsky", Songs by Tom Lehrer
"Oh, wow. This line here's lifted from an anime from two years ago. The words got changed a bit, but that's definitely it. Sneaky. I think I've seen this one before, too. And this one! Sheesh, this one too... Wait... Is this whole book just a bunch of stuff he ripped-off and strung together? If the original writers or worse, their fans, ever saw this, there'd be a freaking riot online..."
— Futaba Sakura, reading Prince of Nightmares, Persona 5 Strikers
Krusty: Hey! That's my Madonna gag! That guy stole my gag!
Sideshow Mel: And you stole it from last Friday's episode of Pardon My Zinger.
Krusty: Stole, made up, what's the difference?
Sideshow Mel: And you stole it from last Friday's episode of Pardon My Zinger.
Krusty: Stole, made up, what's the difference?
— The Simpsons, "Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part Two"
Mr. C: This essay you turned in was plagiarized?
Jeremy: NO! Nothing like that, Mr. C! I bought it off the internet, so it's probably been used hundreds of times. You could think of it as a re-purposed, vintage, crowd-sourced effort.
Mr. C: (holding the zero-grade essay) I can't wait to tell that one in the teachers' lounge.
Jeremy: NO! Nothing like that, Mr. C! I bought it off the internet, so it's probably been used hundreds of times. You could think of it as a re-purposed, vintage, crowd-sourced effort.
Mr. C: (holding the zero-grade essay) I can't wait to tell that one in the teachers' lounge.
— Zits
"Suchong observe... strangest of coincidences. On other side of window, man in strange hat experimenting on Suchong's own creation. On plasmid. Man name of Fink. OUTRAGE! THEFT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY! [sigh] But... man name of Fink is no fool. Through addition of oxidizing agent, turns plasmid ingestible through stomach lining. Mr. Ryan very impressed with Suchong's initiative. Theft of intellectual property... two-way street."
— Dr. Yi Suchong, BioShock Infinite
Catherine: Hey, squirt, come here! I was online and found some stuff you might want to use for your paper.
Francine: Oh, thanks, but I finished it already. Hey, this is my paper!
Catherine: You mean, you already used some of this information?
Francine: I used the whole thing. It was perfect for the topic, so I cut and pasted it into a new document and added a title.
Catherine: Francine, you can't do that!
Francine: Why not?
Catherine: Because that's plagiarism, that's why.
Francine: No, it isn't, it's finishing your work early so you can enjoy Thanksgiving. (beat) What's... plagiarism?
Catherine: It’s when you take someone else's work and claim it's your own. It's basically stealing.
Francine: But I already handed it in! So... you think I can get an 'F'?
Catherine: Worse. You could be suspended.
Francine: Oh, thanks, but I finished it already. Hey, this is my paper!
Catherine: You mean, you already used some of this information?
Francine: I used the whole thing. It was perfect for the topic, so I cut and pasted it into a new document and added a title.
Catherine: Francine, you can't do that!
Francine: Why not?
Catherine: Because that's plagiarism, that's why.
Francine: No, it isn't, it's finishing your work early so you can enjoy Thanksgiving. (beat) What's... plagiarism?
Catherine: It’s when you take someone else's work and claim it's your own. It's basically stealing.
Francine: But I already handed it in! So... you think I can get an 'F'?
Catherine: Worse. You could be suspended.
— Arthur, "Francine's Pilfered Paper"
