: What is the smallest amount of text that can be plagiarized? Can the following be considered plagiarized? I am interested in finding out the limit of words one is allowed to use. Java is a

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I think that some element of probability must be factored into determinations of plagiarism.
For example: how probable is it that more than one person has uttered this string of eleven words:

"I went to the store but I couldn't find any candy."

In contrast, how probable is it that multiple people have independently said this string of seven words:
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” (a quote attributed to Einstein).

The five word rule seems excessively strict, unless the five words are unusually eloquent.

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Well, now, there's stealing which, although normally frowned upon, in our context comes recommended by T.S. Eliot. On his view it consists of taking an author's phrase verbatim, but using it in a different setting where it therefore does something different from the original. It can be done, but sparingly, and I don't wish to be the one to quantify it.

(However, the French-Uruguyan writer Isidore Ducasse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comte_de_Lautr%C3%A9amont) contemplated rewriting an entire Victor Hugo novel; but again, doing it so as to express a different set of ideas. Unfortunately he died before he could pull it off.)

And then there's plagiarism, which in my book consists of stealing an author's ideas and passing them off as your own original work. And for that, rephrazing doesn't even cut the mustard. The maximum legitimate amount you can do is none. Whether that applies to the legal issue as well, I am not qualified to say.

That said, you are of course allowed to use ideas you find in other people's work, with, or without credit depending on the situation. In an academic work, absolutely required. In a work of fiction, not necessarily. You may rely on the public being already aware of the origin of this particular universe or set of ideas. But if you don't bring anything original to it, what, then, is the point?

What you're not allowed to do, is claim ownership or authorship of things that were not yours in the first place.

As for the quote you provide, it seems to me a straightforward descriptive statement of what a product does, that no one could legitimately claim ownership of.

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There isn't a technical definition of plagiarism in that sense. The two phrases you've listed as examples may be used by many folks without citation and it would not be considered plagiarism. They are simple statements and certainly not concepts that anyone would believe are originated by any new writers.

A better question might be: At what point should I provide citations to a source for phrases/quotes, which are in common usage?

If the phrase is something you fear will be flagged as plagiarism, then either rewording it or providing context to avoid confusion or mis-attribution would be ideal.

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