Plagiarism and copyright infringement share some common features, but they are not the same thing. Plagiarism is an ethical and academic offense that involves using someone else's ideas or words without properly acknowledging the source. In contrast, copyright infringement is a legal issue because it involves using another person's protected work without permission.
You can commit plagiarism without violating copyright law—for example, by failing to attribute material that is in the public domain. Likewise, you can infringe copyright without committing plagiarism—for example, by obtaining proper attribution but using copyrighted material without the required permission. Educational institutions typically address plagiarism, while courts handle copyright infringement.
Our guide on accidental plagiarism and how to avoid it explains the most common attribution mistakes. Check your work with Quetext's Plagiarism Checker before submitting.