What Is Plagiarism Today and What Topics Does It Cover?

Updated

Plagiarism Today is a long-running English-language site that covers plagiarism, copyright, and online content theft. According to its own description, it has reported on these issues for more than 20 years. It is useful if you want plain-language explanations of plagiarism disputes, copyright cases, and AI-related authorship controversies, plus short daily news roundups. It is a news and commentary site rather than a legal service or a plagiarism-detection tool.

What the site is

Plagiarism Today positions itself around three connected subjects: plagiarism, copyright, and content theft online. The homepage presents it as a publication with an author-led voice, including an "About the Author" page, reprint and permissions information, and consulting details. That structure suggests a small, personally run publication rather than a large newsroom.

The site also organizes practical guidance for people dealing with copied work. Its navigation lists a "Stop Plagiarism" sequence:

  1. How to Find Plagiarism
  2. Contacting a Plagiarist
  3. Finding the Host
  4. Contacting the Host
  5. When All Else Fails
  6. The Long Haul

There is a parallel "Your Copyrights Online" section covering what a copyright is, its limitations, and common copyright myths.

What topics it covers

The homepage shows the site's current coverage split across several recurring categories.

Academic and research integrity

A featured article asks "Does Traditional Plagiarism Still Matter?" This reflects the site's original focus: plagiarism in academic and research settings, and whether older norms still hold as AI writing tools spread.

AI and authorship disputes

Several recent stories sit at the intersection of AI and plagiarism:

  • Blizzard's fan contest: an Overwatch fan contest "descended into chaos" after winning entries were accused of AI usage, plagiarism, and self-plagiarism.
  • Thélyson Orélien: the author acknowledged past plagiarism but denied using AI.
  • Adobe clones: a developer used AI to generate clones of major Adobe products, raising questions about what the law says.
  • Italian Brainrot character: a lawsuit raises questions about AI, meme culture, and the future of IP law.

Copyright news and case notes

The site runs a "3 Count" daily-style digest of copyright news. Examples from the homepage include a judge ordering Meta to name employees who approved book torrenting, Canadian publishers suing Anthropic, the US Copyright Act of 1976 turning 50, a Supreme Court denial in a copyright termination case, and a study finding Midjourney worst at copyright protection.

It also publishes standalone case write-ups, such as a dispute over a battleship design that a game developer was accused of plagiarizing from a concept artist.

How to use it

  • If you are dealing with copied content: start with the "Stop Plagiarism" sequence, which walks from detection through contacting the plagiarist and the hosting provider.
  • If you want to understand your own rights: the "Your Copyrights Online" section covers copyright basics, limitations, and myths.
  • If you follow AI and IP debates: the AI category collects disputes over AI-generated works, contest rules, and authorship claims.
  • If you want a quick news scan: the "3 Count" posts summarize several copyright stories in one entry.

The site offers free daily email updates via a subscription form. The available material does not state pricing for consulting or other services, so treat those as inquiries rather than assumed free offerings.

What it is not

Plagiarism Today is not a plagiarism checker and does not appear to offer detection software. It reports on and explains disputes rather than providing legal advice. For a specific legal problem, the site's case coverage can help you understand how similar situations have been handled, but it is not a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.