Penalties for plagiarism vary depending on the country or state in which you live. Fines for people caught plagiarising also differ according to the offender's status. Who wrote a paper that was not original? A student, journalist, copywriter, or scholar? The degree of punishment depends on the professional activity.
For example, a famous New York college, The Cazenovia, has developed a step-by-step system of punishments:
- The paper fails the anti-plagiarism test for the first time. The student will receive a low grade (F), additional lectures on ethics, and classes with a tutor;
- A second infraction will result in the student repeating the entire course. All progress will be annulled;
- Third or more infractions will result in expulsion from the university.
A system of fines has been developed for the employees of British companies. For copyright infringements recognized by the court, the offender faces imprisonment or a fine of up to $50,000. If the unoriginal work brought profit to the author (more than $2,500), the fine amount reaches $250,000. The prison sentence is then increased to 10 years.
In Australia, almost any intentional copying leads to the employee's dismissal and expulsion of the student. To avoid problems relating to legislation, you can
check for plagiarism online before you hand in your document.