Sourabh has to prepare a project on "Digital India Initiatives". He decides to get information from the Internet. He downloads three web pages (webpage 1, webpage 2, webpage 3) containing information on Digital India Initiatives. Which of the following steps taken by Sourabh is an example of plagiarism or copyright infringement. Give justification in support of your answer.
He read a paragraph on "Digital India Initiatives" from webpage 1 and rephrased it in his own words. He finally pasted the rephrased paragraph in his project.
This is an example of plagiarism. Even though Sourabh rephrased the paragraph in his own words, he did not mention the source or the original creator. As per the context, if we copy contents from the Internet but do not mention the source, it is considered an act of plagiarism. We should cite the author or source to avoid plagiarism.
He downloaded three images of "Digital India Initiatives" from webpage 2. He made a collage for his project using these images.
This is an example of copyright infringement. Sourabh downloaded images from the Internet and used them in his project without obtaining permission from the copyright owner. Copyright infringement occurs when we use another person's work without their permission or without paying for it. Just because content is available on the Internet does not mean it is free for use.
He downloaded "Digital India Initiative" icon from web page 3 and pasted it on the front page of his project report.
This is an example of copyright infringement. Sourabh downloaded the icon and used it on his project report without permission from the owner. Using someone's copyrighted work (like images or icons) without authorisation is a violation of copyright, even if proper reference is given.
Explanation
The question tests understanding of plagiarism and copyright infringement. Option (a) involves plagiarism because rephrasing without citation still requires acknowledging the source. Options (b) and (c) involve copyright infringement because images and icons are protected by copyright, and using them without permission violates the owner's rights. The textbook clearly distinguishes between plagiarism (presenting someone else's work as one's own without citation) and copyright infringement (using protected work without permission).