Plagarism is a no-no!

The question was what would you do if someone used something you created without giving you credit?

If something of mine was being used without giving me credit, I would be very very upset. First, I would confront the person. If they would not apologize or take it back, I would consult legal help. The problem with legal help is it has to be proven.

I wrote a screenplay a couple of years ago and sent it into the publisher. (It didn't get published by the way.) Anyway, the publisher advised me to make a copy of the screenplay and mail it to myself, and leave it unopened, before I sent it into them. Therefore, I could prove it was mine based on the postage stamp when it was sent back to me.

Does anyone know what kind of legal help can be processed for plagiarism? I know a lot of schools have immediate suspension if the student is caught with plagiarizing. I guess it would depend on the severity. If it was just a research paper, I would make sure the school or admissions rep knew. If it was something like a screenplay, book, movie, something like that, I would consult a legal representative.

I work hard on my papers, as most of us do. To take something that is not yours and make it yours is stealing. Not cool! What do you guys think?