What Copyright? Whose Intellectual Property?

An important question that has arisen under US intellectual property law and regulations is the possible legal and ethical issues higher education institutions may face when instituting anti-plagiarism software. Through an analysis of the history of intellectual property and copyright law, this paper addresses the ethical debates around university utilization of such software. The paper then raises and evaluates alternative approaches. After thorough consideration of the pros and cons of anti-plagiarism software, the paper concludes that such software violates certain intellectual property rights, and its use breaks the trust between universities and their students.