Quotes about plagiarism

"About the most originality that any writer can hope to achieve honestly is to steal with good judgment."

Billings, Josh on plagiarism   

"They lard their lean books with the fat of others work."

Burton, Sir Richard on plagiarism   

This quotation can be viewed in the context of a book

"And for the citation of so many authors, 'tis the easiest thing in nature. Find out one of these books with an alphabetical index, and without any farther ceremony, remove it verbatim into your own... there are fools enough to be thus drawn into an opinion of the work; at least, such a flourishing train of attendants will give your book a fashionable air, and recommend it for sale."

Cervantes, Miguel De on plagiarism   

"Plagiarists are always suspicious of being stolen from."

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor on plagiarism   

This quotation can be viewed in the context of a book

"Ideas improve. The meaning of words participates in the improvement. Plagiarism is necessary. Progress implies it. It embraces an author's phrase, makes use of his expressions, erases a false idea, and replaces it with the right idea."

Debord, Guy on plagiarism   

"Plagiarists at least have the quality of preservation."

Disraeli, Benjamin on plagiarism   

"Perish those who said our good things before we did."

Donatus on plagiarism   

"He invades authors like a monarch; and what would be theft in other poets is only victory in him."

Dryden, John on plagiarism   

"Nothing is new except arrangement."

Durant, William J. on plagiarism   

"Genius Borrows nobly."

Emerson, Ralph Waldo on plagiarism   

"When a thing has been said and said well, have no scruple. Take it and copy it."

France, Anatole on plagiarism   

"There is much difference between imitating a man and counterfeiting him."

Franklin, Benjamin on plagiarism   

"What is originality? Undetected plagiarism."

Inge, Dean William R. on plagiarism
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"They castrate the books of other men in order that with the fat of their works they may lard their own lean volumes."

Jovius on plagiarism   

"I don't think anybody steals anything; all of us borrow."

King, B. B. on plagiarism   

"Stealing things is a glorious occupation, particularly in the art world."

Mclaren, Malcolm on plagiarism   

"If you steal from one author, it's plagiarism; if you steal from many, it's research."

Mizner, Wilson on plagiarism   

"Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from two, it's research."

Mizner, Wilson on plagiarism   

"Taking something from one man and making it worse is plagiarism."

Moore, George on plagiarism   

"Most writers steal a good thing when they can, and when 'Tis safely got 'Tis worth the winning. The worst of 't is we now and then detect em, they ever dream that we suspect em."

Proctor, Bryan Waller on plagiarism   

"The human plagiarism which is most difficult to avoid, for individuals... is the plagiarism of ourselves."

Proust, Marcel on plagiarism   

"Nothing is said which has not been said before."

Terence on plagiarism   

"So much of what I am I got from you. I had no idea how much of it was secondhand."

Townsend, Peter on plagiarism   

"The immature artist imitates. The mature artist steals."

Trilling, Lionel on plagiarism   

"Immature artists imitate. Mature artists steal."

Trilling, Lionel on plagiarism
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"What a good thing Adam had. When he said a good thing, he knew nobody had said it before."

Twain, Mark on plagiarism
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