What's the difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement?

Plagiarism and copyright infringement are related but not the same.

• Plagiarism is an ethical issue - using someone else's ideas or words without giving credit. It breaks academic or professional integrity rules.
• Copyright infringement is a legal issue - copying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted material without the owner's permission.

You can commit plagiarism without breaking copyright (for example, copying and citing text from a public-domain source but claiming it as your own). Likewise, you can infringe copyright without plagiarising (for example, reproducing an image with full credit but without permission).

Always both cite your sources and respect copyright laws to stay on the safe side.