Is plagiarism illegal?

Plagiarism is not usually a criminal offence, but it can have serious academic and professional consequences. In most cases, it's treated as a breach of academic integrity or institutional policy rather than a matter for the courts.

However, plagiarism can become a legal issue if it involves copyright infringement - for example, reproducing a published work or someone else's creative material without permission.

In universities, plagiarism is typically handled through disciplinary procedures and can result in failing an assignment, resubmission requirements, or even expulsion in serious cases.