Plagiarism—Imitation Vs. Inspiration

This post specifically pertains to written content and narrative mediums but is relevant to plagiarism in all fields.

What Is Plagiarism?

The advent of AI and generative writing tools like ChatGPT have provoked much discussion regarding plagiarism, copyright laws, and artists' intellectual property ownership. This post addresses the messy crime of plagiarism and how imitation fundamentally deviates from inspiration.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is ushering in a new era of plagiarism concerns

Oxford Languages defines plagiarism as "the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own." I would be plagiarizing if I had included this definition verbatim without citing the source, Oxford Languages.

The word "taking" implies an individual purposefully observing another's work and lifting their content for themselves. Claiming the work as if the pilfered material is original to the thief constitutes dishonesty, theft, and cheating.

Inspiration, however, also sees the taking of aspects of material for oneself. What defines inspiration? Oxford Languages weighs in: "the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative." Inspiration stimulates the creation of something new; plagiarism, by nature, is not creation. It is peddling existing work under the guise of originality. What does that practice look like?

Markers of Plagiarism

Sometimes, plagiarism is too "soft" to expose or prosecute. This occurs primarily when a creator's work is stolen in parts instead of wholes and woven into another person's project. This is, unfortunately, easier to get away with since the surrounding story doesn't mirror its source. The malicious blending of another creator's scenes or ideas into the plagiarist's own story—while still plagiarism—technically represents a sufficient transformation of the source material. Thus, it is difficult to confirm, even more so to penalize.

Regardless of whether a victimized creator can confirm plagiarism, the practice is always at least somewhat visible. The victim will recognize a striking similarity between their work and another's—often someone the victim knows—and that their content was, at minimum, partially pinched. 

Let’s Use an Example…

Suppose that the victim is taking an English course wherein he and the rest of his class are tasked with writing an essay about a specific subject. Obviously, all the papers will share some resemblance because they share a common topic. But the victim notices one particular essay shares more than subject matter; it appears to reflect the victim's writing style, language, keywords and phrases, observations, and arrives at notably similar conclusions. The paper may not contain all these potential characteristics, but it will include some.

Maybe the victim wrote this sentence in their paper: "Considering this, AI-generated projects cannot be embraced as a legitimate form of creative content; they derive solely from human sources and assemble these into "new" products without crediting their flesh-and-blood origins."

Expect the plagiarist, who likes this sentence, to spin it like this: "All things considered, content made by AI lacks a human touch and is therefore not real art. Because it steals from human sources without crediting them and pretends to make something new in the process, it should not be deemed legitimate."

Seem familiar? That's not an accident.

Additional Signs

Concerned writers shouldn't fret if their copier's content isn't exact; by asking others around them for input and analyzing the behavioral patterns of the plagiarist (this works best if they are already known or have an existing connection), questioning victims can determine whether or not they have a plagiarist in their midst.

Shifting Styles

If the suspected thief writes consistently, one should pay close attention to their content. If they are college essayists, potential victims should compare the plagiarist's writings to their own or, if possible, other students' work; thieves seldom settle for pilfering from one person. If an author, the plagiarist's books and stories should be examined for related themes, ideas, and execution to the victim. It helps to read work from the plagiarist before they knew the victim to compare and contrast that to the work they are doing afterward.

"New" Genres

Take note of some things: Has the plagiarist's stories seriously shifted in tone or content to reflect the victim's? Suppose the victim writes light-hearted romances; is the other author suddenly doing the same? Or does their work, which may have been much darker and heavier before knowing the victim, now contain surprise, out-of-character feelings, ideas, and overall tone?

Plagiarists inevitably reveal themselves one way or another. The effort required to sustain their facades cannot be maintained forever. Prudence and discernment will eventually clear up a poser's smokescreen. If they are careful, though, or have a meticulously guarded, unblemished social reputation, this may take time to prove.

Lifestyle Plagiarism ("Identity Theft")

Just as a plagiarist doesn't steal from one person or piece of media, those with images at stake also won't refrain from pinching pieces of their victims' identities.

A plagiarist in a popular or professional position may observe others around them and curate a personality from what they see. Some won't be satisfied with only swiping one's written content; they may also model their website after someone else's or take up a new, seemingly random hobby, interest, or social media platform to "compete" with their victims.

Often, these "hobby flings" are just that: short-lived flirtations with the victim's areas of familiarity or expertise. Most plagiarists will only follow through with these hobby flings for a short time; if they were genuinely interested in them to begin with, they would have committed to them long ago. But few things plagiarists do will be well-maintained, authentic, or properly and consistently done. After all, that is why they're plagiarists—they're opportunists and steal/imitate out of a lack of self-development, esteem, and applied creativity.

Motives Behind Plagiarism

Another means of spotting plagiarism is identifying the possible motive behind content (or identity) theft. 

Common motives include:

• Laziness—why invest effort into something when ChatGPT or EduBirdie can write it for you?

• Disinterest—students who dislike/are disinterested in a topic may default to plagiarism to avoid doing something boring

• Fear and insecurity—student plagiarists may steal to maintain or boost a grade; creative writers may steal out of insecurity over their abilities and social reception

• Envy and competitiveness—jealousy over another person's academic or creative performance may motivate someone to either "soft" or "hard" lift their work

• Procrastination—students or employees known for pushing off projects may resort to plagiarism while scrambling on an assignment

• Lack of respect or integrity—intentional plagiarism is always a violation of honesty and respect, but some plagiarists simply may not understand or care about the work invested in one's writing, art, etc., and imitate without regard

It is also possible to unintentionally plagiarize. This usually arises from ignorance about proper citations or unfamiliarity with another creator's work. Such was the case with Dua Lipa's "Levitating." Unintentional plagiarism carries serious consequences in court but is not the same as intentional theft, as it is coincidental.

Intentional plagiarism is a dishonest choice; unintentional plagiarism is an honest mistake.

Back to intentional plagiarism motives.

Clout-collectors

Does the individual in question seem to desire social acceptance, power, or relevance? If so, they may have a greater desire to steal to boost their public perception. Does the individual seem shaky or contradictory in deeds and words? Maybe they profess to be activists but seldom act on/for their supposed virtues and causes. Clout-motivated plagiarists care less about their work and more about how others see them.

Inconsistency and Forced Personas

Does the suspected plagiarist exhibit inauthentic tendencies like making self-inflating comments, overstating their credentials, frequently flaunting achievements (that seem suspicious to begin with), associating primarily with more powerful/credible people, and either self-victimizing or assuming a too-perfect persona? It's possible, considering these factors, that a person is at higher risk of being a plagiarist.

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Theft

Plagiarism often derives from desperation. Thieves don't think they have the talent or intellect to create authentically, which builds a frustration that bubbles over into unethical practices. This is unfortunate because plagiarists may actually be excellent at their craft. However, they will not notice or nurture this potential if they ignore it in pursuit of unattainable perfection from outside sources.

Inspiration Vs. Imitation

Unlike inspiration—an oft-cited, appreciative inclusion of something a creator liked in another creator's work—imitation is secretive and deceptive. Plagiarists don't want to be identified as such. Hubristic ones will not pay homage to another creator, especially concerning envy-motivated "borrowing." Meanwhile, an inspired creator will gladly divulge the reasoning behind elements of their work that arose from previous content.

Imitation = intellectual theft shrouded in secrecy to manipulate an audience into believing in the plagiarist's purported skills and accomplishments. Envy, laziness, low self-worth, and lackluster personal application underpin imitation.

Core belief: "I won't succeed unless I take from somebody else: somebody better than me."

Inspiration = integrating elements from another creator's work into one's own to alter and elevate the content into something progressive and new. Inspiration is open, appreciative, transformative, takes extra steps beyond the source, is exciting for the creator, and honors styles, ideas, themes, and imaginative works personally important to the inspired individual.

Core belief: "I'm so thrilled by what I've seen that I can't wait to honor and expand on it in my own work!"

Motivations behind inspiration-related content integration include:

• Expanding on another creator's concepts and dialogue

• Continuing another creator's legacy

• Weaving pieces of the individual's favorite work into their own for homage and creative closeness

Imitation is negative, rooted in a person's anxieties, fears, or negligent approach to life.

Inspiration uplifts and "pays it forward," an inherently positive part of the life cycle of ideas.

We're All Inspired by Something

In reality, nothing is entirely original. Everything we do is derivative of something that came before it. Even the Bible states this in Ecclesiastes 1:9: "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun."

This knowledge should liberate honest creators from stressing about originality. While a concept may indeed be original to a person at its conception, the truth is that it likely already exists elsewhere—"it's been done before."

Not to worry. Genuine, authentic, motivated writers can still dazzle by doing a few things with their work:

• Not plagiarizing

• Taking inspiration and advancing, transforming, and putting one's own "flavor" into it

• Writing characters and scenes reminiscent of the individual's personal life and experiences

• Capturing their own most profound emotions and thoughts artistically

• Exploring a trial or life lesson through fiction and fantasy

• Crafting clever sentences free of cliches

• Not resorting to stereotypes

• Writing specific, distinguishable details into one's story, like names, symbols, magic system rules, etc. In other words, don't be vague and safe

• Telling unflinching and authentic stories—there's a reason modern Marvel movies all seem the same: they don't take any legitimate risks or tell compelling human tales!

• Blending genres and subverting genre expectations

• Defending something controversial in your writing; going against the grain tends to stick out!

Final Thoughts

The goal for creators isn't to reinvent the wheel. The wheel already exists. So does the concept you're hoping to tackle in your next story. It's important to remember that being inspired by something and wanting to include pieces of that inspiration in your work is more than okay; it's beautiful. Just as life comes in seasons and cycles, so do the ideas and themes comprising human existence. Be inspired to your heart's content!

But if you're thinking of plagiarizing, stop and consider the implications of your actions and what they indicate about you. Is there a powerful writer in you that you're burying under unrealistic expectations? Are you insecure when you do not need to be? Are you aching for success or longing to get something started?

Pause. Reflect. Look away from the content and creators who tempt you to compromise your moral, academic, and artistic integrity. Look back at yourself. Dig into who you see. Start sketching and outlining. Gather external inspiration and let it transform and transcend in your mind.

Then, and only then, take your pen to the paper.

You'll be ready.