As technology becomes an increasingly complex part of today's society, it allows information to travel quickly and be more widely available. Because this information is so widely available, some ethical questions have arisen when it comes to how much credit the owners of these ideas receive. Reynolds (2010) defines intellectual property as “works of the mind distinct and owned or created by a single person or group” (p.428). Intellectual property has legal mechanisms used to protect these rights such as copyright, patent, trade secret, and trademark laws. Copyright is used to distinguish ownership of works and protect proprietary rights, and allows owners to distribute, display, and make exclusive copies of the original work thereby receiving the benefit of their original idea or work. The benefits are not only of monetary value but also of prestige and possible fame. The Internet is the main reason information is so widely available and has fueled ethical concerns. These concerns specifically relate to copyright infringement and plagiarism. Copyright infringement is copying a substantial part of someone else's work protected by copyright. Plagiarism is passing off someone else's ideas or words as your own (Reynolds, 2010). It's important to try to differentiate the two because they are related, although plagiarism tends to be a much vaguer definition. This lack of transparency is the main problem that both teachers and students struggle to understand. Plagiarism has many negative consequences and for the plagiarist sometimes some benefits. Plagiarism can be considered a shortcut to achieve the desired outcome, due to the highly competitive workplace and academic institution (Dow, 2008). Doing...... half of the paper...... 311-322. doi:10.1007/s11948-008-9057-6Butler, R. P. (2005). Are they related? Copyright against plagiarism. Knowledge Quest, 34(2), 50. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Dow, M. (2008). Teaching ethical behavior in the global world of information and the new AASL standards. (Cover story). Monthly School Library Multimedia Activities, 25(4), 49-52. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Jenson, J., & De Castell, S. (2004). 'Turn It In': technological challenges to academic ethics. Education, communication and information, 4(2/3), 311-330. doi:10.1080/14636310412331304735Mahadevan, S.S. (2008). The threat of plagiarism. Current Science (00113891), 94(5), 553. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Rawe, J. (2007). A question of honor. Time, 169(22), 59-60. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Reynolds, G.W. (2010). Ethics in information technology (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Technology Course, Cengage Leaning