AustLit

'When authors publish under their own names they make a social contract with readers, declaring that the work is original. That work possesses economic and cultural value in the marketplace (Foucault 1977; Bourdieu 1996; Sawyer 2006; Sennett 2008). Various ways exist for authors to claim ownership, but this does not preclude others from violating their moral or legal rights. As creators and consumers, they cannot but be aware of a continuum inhering in the literary process that begins with unattainable originality and ends with intentional theft. Along this continuum exist varying degrees of unconscious and conscious borrowing of another’s words or ideas. The terms original, plagiarised and self-plagiarised can be descriptive and emotive. Impacting upon them are terms such as moral rights and copyright. Definitions of plagiarism, in particular, reflect who chooses to define it and why. This article defines key terms for authors – moral rights, copyright, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and double-dipping – in order to clarify the dangers of intellectual and creative theft. It also offers a variety of examples. The manner in which writers integrate literary and critical influences has become more challenging in the twenty-first century where so much of the past and the present exist online. Creative writing teachers and students must learn to negotiate this mercurial educational and cultural environment. '  (Publication abstract)