SARDONIKA (SPINews) -- A young, best-selling author was criticized recently for lifting passages from fellow novelists without attribution. “It’s not plagiarism,” claimed German writer Helene Hegemann, whose debut novel,“Axolotl Roadkill,” is littered with borrowed material. “I’m an artist. I’m mixing and sampling.” She said it’s a new generation and, in an information-rich culture, this practice is perfectly acceptable.
The Sardonika Policy Institute sees a trend developing:
- “I wasn’t counterfeiting, I was sampling twenties.”
- “I wasn’t lifting credit card numbers, I was sampling identities.”
- “I wasn’t cribbing, I was sampling students' test papers.”
And from some recent newsmakers:
- “I wasn’t stealing, I was sampling my friends’ savings.”—Bernie Madoff.
- “I wasn’t teleprompting, I was sampling my life line.”—Sarah Palin.
- "I wasn't cheating, I was sampling my fan base."—Tiger Woods.
Editor's note: SPINews sampled parts of this report from The New York Times.
Comments