However, plagiarism can warrant legal action if it infringes upon the original author's copyright, patent, or trademark. Plagiarism can also result in a lawsuit if it breaches a contract with terms that only original work is acceptable.

The Common Types of Plagiarism Direct Plagiarism. Direct plagiarism is the word-for-word transcription of a section of someone else's work, without attribution and without quotation marks. ... Self Plagiarism. ... Mosaic Plagiarism. ... Accidental Plagiarism.

Often referred to as the case of "John Fogerty vs. John Fogerty," the plaintiff claimed that John Fogerty plagiarized a Creedence Clearwater Revival song...that was written and performed by John Fogerty. The plaintiff was the record company that had parted ways with Creedence, Fogerty going off to do solo work.

But, The Citadel further says, “Plagiarism can also be considered a felony under certain state and federal laws. For example, if a plagiarist copies and earns more than $2,500 from copyrighted material, he or she may face up to $250,000 in fines and up to ten years in jail.”

It goes without saying that a person found to plagiarize in a professional setting will be dismissed from their position likely ending his/her career. Plagiarism can also result in legal action being taken against against the plagiarist resulting in fines as high as $50,000 and a jail sentence of up to one year.

A professional business person, politician, or public figure may find that the damage from plagiarism follows them for their entire career. Not only will they likely be fired or asked to step down from their present position, but they will surely find it difficult to obtain another respectable job.

Plagiarism allegations can cause a student to be suspended or expelled. Their academic record can reflect the ethics offense, possibly causing the student to be barred from entering college from high school or another college. Schools, colleges, and universities take plagiarism very seriously.