As we know, writers cannot ignore the rules about plagiarism since it results in copyright violation. Such requirements are imposed on any academic writing: journal articles, research papers, and school assignments. Thus, when using someone’s ideas for inspiration, they should always be paraphrased and cited. However, people who ignore these rules can be punished with reputation and work loss, as happened to Jonah Lehrer, who worked at New Yorker Monday. In his book Imagine: How Creativity Works, the writer used Bob Dylan’s quotes and presented them as his own.
To begin with, if a writer uses someone’s quote or concept, it is vital to credit them, and most significantly, cite their work. However, Jonah Lehrer had expected to escape the adverse outcomes of his actions. It is clear that he could have interpreted Bob Dylan’s quote to his understanding and given credit for using his materials in the book Imagine: How Creativity Works. Furthermore, I agree that his actions cannot be justified, and it was right of New Yorker Monday to fire him since he posed a danger not only to his reputation but also to the company.
I believe that plagiarism of someone’s ideas should be strictly punished, and no one should have an opportunity to escape its consequences. Moreover, a writer’s effort put into one’s work should be valued and respected by others since one had spent time creating his piece and has full credit for one’s ideas. Though sometimes people opt for such actions to earn money more efficiently, it is not fair to publish someone’s quotes as theirs. Thus, I reckon that Jonah Lehrer’s punishment was suitable, and he deserved it for neglecting plagiarism rules. As a result, it might give other writers a lesson that they should never violate fundamental copyright concepts.