What’s wrong with copying
Charges of plagiarism are flying in the world of books. Where does borrowing end and theft begin? Though disputed, there is a difference
EVERYONE knows the feeling. In a timely flash, the perfect quip or barb forms in the mind and rolls onto the tongue. You deliver it to the table, and wait for the gasps or guffaws. In the silence that follows a dry voice says instead, “Yes, I read that too.”
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “What’s wrong with copying”
From the April 5th 1997 edition
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