Brief Four: Plagiarism and Fabrication

When thinking about plagiarism, I automatically recall the countless warnings English teachers gave our class every year of my elementary education.  

The looming thought that I could be academically derailed from a simple mistake-absolutely haunted me throughout my education. (Honestly, the thoughts are still present). 

Growing up, I thought plagiarism was limited to the academic world when in reality plagiarism can be divided into 12 different types. And it doesn't stop there, plagiarism appears in almost any available field of work. From music, writing, cinema, speeches, and even photos. 

The accusation of plagiarism is a hurtful and extensive process, for an innocent person. Having your work questioned and accused can feel like a personal attack, as well as a professional one. Many of our favorite authors and singers have received accusations of plagiarism and fabrication of some of their most popular works. 

J.K. Rowling- The Harry Potter Series

As a Potterhead, researching this case about my favorite Harry Potter book was almost like a slap to my face, and I'm not even the one who's being accused.

In July of 2010 J.K. Rowling, author of the world-famous Harry Potter series, was accused of plagiarism by the estate of the late author, Adrian Jacobs.

The claim against J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury (the official publisher of the Harry Potter series) stated the fourth Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was plagiarized from Jacobs' book, “The Adventures of Willy the Wizard No 1 Livid Land.”

The accusation of plagiarism stemmed from similar elements including a wizarding competition and the transportation of wizards via train.

The similarities were small and insignificant accusations, considering Jacobs' book only reaches 36 pages, in comparison to the content of Rowling's 636 provides. 

Bloomsbury went into more depth regarding the accusation in a quote, discussing the different storylines, content, and characters.

Bloomsbury defense: “a very insubstantial booklet running 36 pages, which had a very limited distribution. The central character of Willy The Wizard is not a young wizard and the book does not revolve around a wizard school.” 

J.K. Rowling herself responded to these claims stating, "I am saddened that yet another claim has been made that I have taken material from another source to write Harry. The fact is I had never heard of the author or the book before the first accusation by those connected to the author’s estate in 2004; I have certainly never read the book".

The claims of plagiarism were originally made in 2000 by solicitors acting on the behalf of the late Jacobs, and by 2011 the lawsuit was dropped based on no "identifiable text found within the Harry Potter book which copied Willy the Wizard."

The accusations against J.K. Rowling are not limited to one or two, the Harry Potter series has been questioned several times in regards to plagiarized work. 

Although it may not feel as though plagiarism is a relevant issue, the accusations of plagiarism and fabrication are still prevalent in any given field of work.