Though the Internet has brought with it an explosion of plagiarism, such theft is hardly a new concept. In fact, it’s probably been around as long as the written language has.

FamousPlagiarists.com is a site dedicated to “celebrating” the great plagiarists in history. From Shakespeare to Melanie Grobler, this site covers nearly every great plagiarism controversy history has known.

But while it’s interesting to see how many famous faces have been caught with their hands in the metaphorical cookie jar, it’s the depth of information that’s really impressive. Even if the site’s layout and “threat level” feature turn you off, the wealth of knowledge and level-headed reporting will keep you hooked. I’m especially addicted to the “Hall of Shame” section which deals with the biggest and worst plagiarists known to man, a “most wanted” list of sorts.

Even more exciting is the fact that the makers of the site will be launching a new academic journal called “Plagiary“. The journal, which promises “To bring together the various strands of scholarship which already exist on the subject, and to create a forum for discussion across disciplinary boundaries”, will be launched in January 2006.

These are both great sites for anyone interested in plagiarism and must-reads for any scholars on the subject.

[tags]Plagiarism, History, Shakespeare[/tags]

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