Should stealing another's words warrant loosing one's life? What does it mean exactly to plagarise, not by Ogle standards, but by national and international law standards? I was reading this essay by Malcolm Gladwell in which a play write 'stole' words from Gladwell and the life of a psychotherapist to write an incredible work of art, the play Frozen. Gladwell explains that the woman who's personal details made up a lot of the play felt like she had her identity and her life stolen from her. Her claim made sense. She was a famous serial killer specialist who received multiple phone calls and email telling her this play was about her. The only problem with is she had never heard of the play. Gladwell explained the situation in such a manner that I couldn't help but sympathize with the woman who felt stolen from. interestingly enough, Malcolm also says that although the play write 'stole' words from one of Malcolm's essays, Malcolm didn't feel like he had been stolen from. Several direct sentences were even used. Gladwell argues that the play write used what was legally Malcolm's intellectual property to make a piece of art that connected Malcolm's words to a bigger, better picture. I agree with Malcolm when he says our society has become a little too zealous on intellectual property right and that our societal possessions on those right should be reevaluated.

There is a distinction, I think, between what that play write did with Malcolm's words and the other woman's life story. Likewise, I think there is also a different in what the play write did between stealing from Gladwell and someone using a history book to write another history book.

Either way it isn't hard to tell the world where you got piece of information, and thus, not cheat.