Plagiarism hit the news in the UK, when the fact that a significant number of students at GCSE & A-level have indulged in some form of “illegal” activities in the production of coursework – beit plagiarism, parental help, teachers helping etc.
In this article, Saunders looks at the impact of plagiarism in schools & Universities. One thing that he points out is that in 14 US States, it’s actually illegal to sell exam answers, dissertations etc., to students. No such laws exist in the UK at present. He also points out:
Not only could the discussion on how to deal with plagiarism be usefully considered within the framework of intellectual property law, but I would suggest that institutions consider how their approach to plagiarism fits with their policies on intellectual property created by both students and staff.