Credit Where Credit Is Due

When I was in elementary school, our assignment was to write poetry and then read it aloud to the class. Even then I was a pretty good writer, and I was happy with my poem, which I worked very hard to compose. The teacher was wowed by one student whose poem, I immediately recognized, had been copied word for word from one of the books in our classroom. My classmate basked in the glow of praise from our teacher, who seemed in awe of the level of sophistication of this particular work. Later in the day, I got the book from the shelf, opened it to the page with the poem and talked privately to my teacher. I don't know what happened after that. I don't know if she spoke to my classmate, and she certainly didn't talk to the class and tell us what the word plagiarism meant. I do know that I intuitively knew it was wrong to take credit for someone else's work.

I have loved to read ever since I was a small girl, and I can remember reading and thinking about the author, the person who wrote the book, the person who illustrated it. When my kids were small and I read aloud to them, I always read the title of the book, and then the name of the author and illustrator, these amazing people who brought such wonderful stories to life. Aside from the obvious dollars and cents part of it, it seems to me to be such a violation, to steal the work, the idea, the creation, even the peanut butter cookie recipe of someone else, and purport it to be your own. I recently was promoted at work, which puts me in a supervisory capacity, and I try very hard to be careful to give credit to my coworkers when it comes to their accomplishments and ideas. It just seems to be the respectful thing to do, to acknowledge them in this way.

Last Friday, Apple won a $1 billion lawsuit against Samsung for patent infringement. A few months ago, I was in one of the huge electronics stores with my younger son, and we were looking at the newest phones. We remarked how similar the Android phones were to our Apple iphones. Way too similar, it would seem now. Another hearing is scheduled for September 20, where a ban on the sale of Samsung phones in the US will be discussed. The dollar amount for damages awarded to Apple could be increased as well, if it is determined the infringement was intentional. I don't know what is involved in that, from a legal standpoint. But to someone like me, I can't imagine how it wasn't intentional, given the fact that the iphone was from day one such a wonder with no other smart phone even touching it for so long.

It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. (If you know who said this, please tell me so I can credit that person.) But imitation can sometimes be stealing, plain and simple.

UPDATE: It is Charles Caleb Colton. Thanks to my older brother for this. = )

Susan