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DOJ Advisory Opinion On Plagiarism PDF
DOJ Advisory Opinion On Plagiarism PDF
KAGAWARAN NG KATARUNGAN
Department of Justice
Manila
PRESS RELEASE
0 2 October 2012
A D V I S O R Y O P I N I O N N O . 0 2 (Series of 2012)
18 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 2
ADVISORY ON PLAGIARISM
1. I N T R O D U C T I O N
2. S U M M A R Y O F T H E L A W
If a p e r s o n , for e x a m p l e , r e p u b l i s h e s a v o l u m e o f G e o r g e
B a n c r o f t ' s n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y classie History of the
United States of America a n d c l a i m s to he t h e a u t h o r ,
he o r s h e c o m m i t s p l a g i a r i s m h u t n o t c o p y r i g h t
infringement, since the copyright e x p i r e d m a n y years
ago. The i n d i v i d u a l w o u l d suffer the c o n d e m n a t i o n of the
historical profession, a n d m a y have c o m m i t t e d f r a u d , but w o u l d
not have b r o k e n any c o p y r i g h t laws. If a p e r s o n , however,
incorporates a n entire chapter o f a m o r e recent
h i s t o r i c a l w o r k i n t o a n e w b o o k w i t h o u t the p e r m i s s i o n
o f the c o p y r i g h t h o l d e r , t h e p e r s o n is n o t guilty o f
p l a g i a r i s m i f h e o r s h e cites t h e s o u r c e . B u t the p e r s o n
d o e s i n f r i n g e o n t h e o r i g i n a l a u t h o r ' s c o p y r i g h t , whether
or not the w r o n g e d a u t h o r is p r o p e r l y credited. [ E m p h a s i s
supplied]
M i c h a e l R a w s o n , P L A G I A R I S M : C U R R I C U L A R M A T E R I A L S F O R H I S T O R Y I N S T R U C T O R S , available
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S u m m a r i z i n g the law, p l a g i a r i s m i s p u n i s h a b l e a s a c r i m e i f
it was committed w i t h d e l i b e r a t e i n t e n t a n d a m o u n t s t o c o p y r i g h t
i n f r i n g e m e n t under the IPC. If copyright infringement was c o m m i t t e d ,
the violator can be h e l d liable under the IPC; i n a d d i t i o n , he/she can also
be h e l d liable under (1) the C y b e r c r i m e P r e v e n t i o n A c t , if the
plagiarism was c o m m i t t e d through an ICT network or facility like the
internet, and/or (2) the E - C o m m e r c e A c t , i f the plagiarism takes the
f o r m of "online piracy" as described i n Section 33 (b) of the law.
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III. A D V I S O R Y
1. P L A G I A R I S M S H O U L D B E A V O I D E D , R E G A R D L E S S O F
T H E P R E S E N C E O F S A N C T I O N S A G A I N S T IT.
2. C U L T I V A T E T H E H A B I T O F A T T R I B U T I O N . W H E N IN
DOUBT, CITE.
4. A L W A Y S B E V I G I L A N T IN DETECTING CASES OF
PLAGIARISM.
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Thus, institutions should consider specifically designating
plagiarism as a just cause for d i s c i p l i n a r y sanctions. This should apply
specifically to institutions whose w o r k s and activities are i m b u e d w i t h
public interest or are h i g h l y fiduciary i n nature, and those whose raison
d'etre is precisely the generation of original ideas.
Secretary
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Republika ng Pilipinas
KAGAWARAN NG KATARUNGAN
Department of Justice
Manila
PRESS RELEASE
0 2 October 2012