The harms of plagiarism in the society of Vietnam
Plagiarism, commonly known internationally as the act of stealing intellectual property, counterfeiting, falsifying, or misrepresenting the work of individuals or organizations and claiming it as one’s own. This is an unethical behavior, with many adverse effects on society, impacting the development of human civilization in the age of knowledge, where intellect and intelligence are the main driving forces behind progress.
In the field of intellectual property, plagiarism can be classified as one of the most common types of copyright infringement, robbing the efforts of individuals or organizations who have created that intellectual property.
Recently, the academic community in the United States, in particular, and internationally, has been shaken by the news that the President of Harvard University, Claudine Gay, had to resign amid allegations of plagiarism throughout her career.
Claudine Gay thus became the shortest-serving president in the history of Harvard University – a prestigious and venerable institution in the United States with nearly 400 years of history, the birthplace of numerous US presidents, and individuals holding the highest positions of power in the country.
In addition to allegations of plagiarism, Gay also cited reasons for her resignation due to personal attacks, specifically racial discrimination as she is a person of color. Harvard has strongly condemned such discriminatory behaviors. The temporary position of president now falls to Alan M. Garber, an economist and the academic dean of Harvard University.
Regarding plagiarism, The Washington Free Beacon reported receiving 39 accusations across seven research papers concerning plagiarism. The most notable is Gay’s 1997 doctoral dissertation titled “Seizing Power: The Victory of Black Candidates and Redefining American Politics.”
Accusations indicate that Gay published her thesis heavily borrowing from a 1996 publication by Bradley Palmquist and Stephen Voss, without proper citation or placing text in quotation marks, constituting plagiarism and appropriating the work of those authors. Moreover, there are dozens of other published works by Gay that are under suspicion of plagiarism due to incomplete citations or lack of authentication by experts, such as the 2001 article “Impact of Minority Districts and Minority Representation on Political Participation in California.”
The Harvard University governing board at the time supported Gay, stating they had long been aware of the accusations, investigated, and found that some of these infractions were not severe enough to warrant penalties or render the research invalid.
Following the accusations, Gay made additional citations to ensure academic integrity. It is known that this is only the official announcement. Gay is currently still in office and has not indicated when she will officially resign from the presidency and allow others to take over.
This is an event that has a significant impact on American society, attracting the attention of billionaire CEOs, intellectuals, and even members of Congress. As of early 2024, accusations of Gay’s plagiarism continue to be submitted to reputable newspapers, even after she has announced her resignation.
It is expected that if these behaviors are confirmed, Gay’s simple resignation will not be enough to appease the public’s anger or mitigate the impact of the incident on Harvard University and its students, as well as alumni who hold many important positions in the US government.
Some notable Harvard alumni include President Barack Obama (the first African American President of the United States), former US Presidents John Adams, John F. Kennedy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, George W. Bush, actress Natalie Portman, actor Matt Damon, CEOs and founders of major US and global corporations such as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and others.
Penalties for plagiarism
In the United States, plagiarism is considered a serious violation in the academic field, and as such, it can lead to various consequences depending on the specific context.
If plagiarism is not severe and does not pose any significant concerns to society, the penalties are typically limited to the organization where the individual operates. For instance, in the case of the most common plagiarism among students during their university studies, penalties may include failing grades, academic probation, suspension, or expulsion for repeat offenses.
Some educational institutions may require students engaging in plagiarism to complete training programs on academic integrity or research ethics and to redo the work identified as plagiarized.
Penalties for copyright infringement through plagiarism can include hefty fines of up to $150,000 or even imprisonment depending on the legal jurisdiction, as the United States is divided into 50 states, each with different laws and sentencing guidelines.
In some cases, plagiarism can also be considered a federal and state crime. Perpetrators of plagiarism may face up to one year in prison for the offense. If they have gained material benefits from plagiarism, such as earning over $2,500, depending on the severity, they could be fined up to $250,000 and face a maximum of 10 years in prison.
In Vietnam, according to Article 18 of Decree 131/2013/NĐ-CP, individuals who commit plagiarism by copying works without permission from the copyright owner will be fined from 15,000,000 VND to 35,000,000 VND.
The fine applies to individuals, and for organizations engaging in plagiarism, the fine is twice the penalty for individuals.
Additionally, violators are required to remove copies of the infringing works electronically, on the internet, and in digital environments or destroy the infringing materials.
In cases where plagiarism results in serious consequences, sufficient to warrant criminal liability as stipulated in Article 225 of the 2015 Penal Code regarding copyright infringement and related rights, the perpetrator may be fined from 50,000,000 VND to 300,000,000 VND or undergo non-custodial reform for up to 3 years, along with additional penalties.
For instance, if plagiarism is committed by an organized group/for repeated offenses/profit-making activities exceeding 300,000,000 VND/damaging the rights of copyright holders, exceeding 500,000,000 VND/the value of infringing goods exceeding 500,000,000 VND, the offender may be fined from 300,000,000 VND to 1,000,000,000 VND or imprisoned from 6 months to 3 years.
Furthermore, the offender may also be fined from 20,000,000 VND to 200,000,000 VND, prohibited from holding positions, practicing certain professions, or performing certain jobs for 1 to 5 years.
The harms of plagiarism in the society of Vietnam
The harms of plagiarism in society are profound and far-reaching. Plagiarism undermines transparency and ethics in society. The act of falsifying information, texts, or documents not only creates dishonesty but also has negative impacts on many crucial areas.
In the fields of research and education, this behavior limits innovation and creativity, contributing to a reduction in the quality of knowledge. It also affects the economy, as plagiarized information can lead to incorrect business decisions and decreased efficiency.
The consequences of plagiarism extend beyond the individual level to the community and organizations, causing damage to reputation and credibility, eroding the trust of partners and customers. Furthermore, this behavior violates legal regulations, threatening the legal responsibilities and rights of the offenders.
In the face of these challenges, preventing and penalizing plagiarism becomes extremely important. Moreover, enhancing education on professional ethics and positive social impacts can help mitigate the harmful effects of this behavior, guiding society towards a path of transparency and fairness in development.
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