Is plagiarism cheating the public?

The sparks from Harvard student-author Kaavya Viswanathan’s book controversy have brought plagiarism into limelight. Besides that, the recent allegations of top Indian designers ripping off Western counterparts added fire. After Hours asked some Mumbaikars whether originality exists anymore…

Rashima Mittal, 28: “There is too much of commercialisation because of which the quality of work is not emphasised upon. If you take fashion for example, you are offered  exclusive wear by designers but there is absolutely no value for  it once you know it’s been copied.”

Manisha Singh, 22: “Everyone wants to market their product. They tag it as original however unoriginal it might be. There are a few popular formulas that sell and that is imitated.”

Vijay Maheshkar, 22: “80 percent of Bollywood is a big farce. Most of the films are rip-offs and we accept them blindly. I don’t think there is any originality left.”

Hitesh Madan, 21: “I think we have become complacent to the whole issue of plagiarism. I listen to Anu Malik for example and think he imitates the West aesthetically. So I don’t have a problem with it.”

Kamlesh Chauhan, 20: “I think plagiarism is a crime. There has to be a stricter law to prohibit blatant copying.”

Sonal Nagda, 25: “I don’t think there is anything original left. When you go for a film, you realise you have already watched it.”

Kavita Gupta, 24: “When you talk of plagiarism, I’m reminded only of Anu Malik. He does it and is proud of it. I think it’s a real shame.”