Switching gears today to talk about writing, rather than reading, I recently came across this 2007 publication by Judge Richard Posner who sits on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and teaches at the University of Chicago School of Law - The Little Book of Plagiarism. True to its name, this is a VERY little book - only around 100 very small pocket-sized pages. This makes it a fast and easy read for anyone who has ever been confused about distinctions between plagiarism, copyright infringement, and fraud. It also attempts to define plagiarism which is a surprisingly slippery concept. Although written by an expert in intellectual property law and the economics of intellectual property law, it is readily accessible to non-law audiences and can be read in a couple of hours. Beware that it raises more questions about the definition and nature of plagiarism in the modern digital world than it answers, but at least it evidences that these are difficult problems for everyone, including legal experts. It's no wonder that many writers are confused about what is legally and ethically acceptable in terms of borrowing from others' work. There are plenty of examples from commercial fiction, academic and the art world and, again, while none of them gives definitive answers about acceptable conduct they are great food for thought. So for any aspiring writers out there, it's worth taking a look at this book.
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