Duplicate content is a problematic thing. So, let’s help you understand it a bit better.
Stats tell us plagiarism is an equal issue in academic and professional environments. In a study, around 40% of students admitted that they plagiarized when conducting a test. But that’s nothing new, as plagiarism has been around since 80 A.D.
So, what makes it problematic? Today, we’re going to analyze a few key things that’ll help you understand its unethical nature. So, let’s dig in.
What is Duplicate Content?
Duplicate content is a common problem in the internet era. It happens when someone copies content from one website and publishes it on another. There are two types of duplicate content:
- Content that is copied verbatim without any changes or edits.
- Content that has been edited to include original thoughts largely consists of the same information as the original content.
Duplicate content can be found on many different types of websites, such as blogs, news sites, social media sites, and even web pages for businesses.
What Makes Duplicate Content Problematic?
In this section, we’re analyzing what happens when you don’t deal with duplicate content. So, let’s dive right into it.
- Copyright Laws Prevent Using Duplicate Content
All around the globe, copyright laws differ from one another. Some differ in penalties, while others might differ in determining the nature of duplicity. However, the one thing common among them is that plagiarism is considered unethical and wrong.
According to Harvard University’s guide for Copyright and Fair Use, one has no authority over copyright content. Thus it cannot be “duplicated, disseminated, or appropriated” by anyone else besides the ones who own the copyrights to any content.
Besides, any website with copyright authority over the content it posts basically owns it. So, copying from that particular website might cause issues such as:
- Copyright infringement or copyright strike;
- Duplicity penalty from Google;
- Other PR-related issues.
That’s why it’s necessary to understand copyright laws locally and internationally. Because not only will it help you understand the dire consequences of plagiarizing, but it will also help you prevent using any copyrighted content.
- Academic Laws Rebuke It
Academic laws around the globe differ about plagiarism all the same. While in the United States, academic plagiarism isn’t illegal, it’s still a violation of the codes and ethics of any school or workplace. Therefore, the consequences depend entirely on the academy.
But, as mentioned before, plagiarism might warrant legal action only if the plagiarizer stands to earn or make money from it. In academia, that’s not the case, so the penalties surrounding academic plagiarism can differ, but they’re mostly:
- Degradation of academic credibility;
- Reduced numbers/grades in tests or annual rankings;
- Expulsion or rebuking academic license;
- Losing the numbers/grades for a particular assignment or research;
- Loss of all academic credibility moving forward.
It comes down to the local administration and how each academy deals with plagiarism and its related issues. However, it’s still unethical and wrong, and most of the academia will still see it punished.
According to Cornell Law School, any act of plagiarism or duplicity might result in “disciplinary action from a person’s school.” That’s why penalties can differ according to the academy or institution. However, what remains the same is the unethical and unacceptable nature of plagiarism.
- Search Engines Don’t Approve of It
In search engine ranks, only the original and unique content stands out. According to experts, the definition of unique content is entirely different from content on other websites. Or content present on the internet in general.
That’s why plagiarism is not something that counts among that sort of content. In fact, duplicity can cause issues, such as Google’s penalties, that may stop a website from ranking on any page of SERP (search engine results page) altogether.
Thus, it’s important to understand that Google doesn’t appreciate any sort of plagiarized or duplicate content. Now, since Google owns most of the search engine market share, people listen to what Google’s laws have to say.
That’s why Google specifically asks businesses NOT to use any sort of plagiarized or duplicate content in their posts. Because if it earns you a penalty from Google, you might risk getting blacklisted from search engines.
- Audiences Won’t Appreciate it
Lastly, the content of any sort is written for an audience. Whether it’s academic content or online content, it’s important to understand that any sort of audience won’t appreciate it. That’s why it’s important to keep this important factor in mind.
Now, the audience doesn’t naturally have an eagle eye for plagiarism. However, once a website is reported, taken down, or a writer rebuked by a guild or academy, then they are ousted. Thus, losing any sort of credibility that they might have had with their target audience.
How To Get Rid of Duplicate Content?
Removing plagiarism is a straightforward process once you know how to do it. However, you can create a cheat list to remove plagiarism before posting or submitting your content. Here’s how:
- Head to a plagiarism checker tool;
- Scan your content for duplicity;
- Use a plagiarism remover to rewrite plagiarized content;
- Cite the original author as a source or quote them;
- Done.
Using a plagiarism remover is better than manual editing as it takes less time and is very efficient. This little checklist will help you remove plagiarism before posting it.
Conclusion
These are the key factors to understand about the unethical and unacceptable nature of duplicate content according to international laws. In every academy or professional setting, duplicity is rebuked, and so it’s a writer’s responsibility to steer clear of it.
