Ethics

spavigail_20251358

My boss wants me to copy articles from a large financial company, change some words around and then pass it off as our own to send out as a monthly newsletter to one of our clients who will then distribute to their company.

When I told him that's copy right infringement/ plaigerism, he said it's not if you switch around some words. Then he said - where do you think our website came from?
am I being too picky?

spavigail_20251358

Can I get in trouble for this?

GoodLuckBear14

Your boss is wrong and needs to have a serious talk with your company's attorney. 

s-aries8990

That is definitely plagarism! It's taking ideas that don't belong to You (in the general sense) and passing them off as Your own without credit. You might as well copy a wikipedia page and make it from past to present tense.....

You are NOT being too picky- can you try and give a little more push-back? Is there someone above your boss that you can speak to about this?

Can you get in trouble for this? Possibly- your boss doens't want to be told "no" (possible trouble) and if Merril Lynch finds out, they can take legal action against your company (I'm not quite sure how, but I'm sure there are some litigation possibilities - possible trouble).

spavigail_20251358

He's the business owner.  I work for 2 men who are partners, there is no one  else in the company.  What can I do?

mcda04

This is definitely un-ethical.

Can you create your own article?

Maggie0829

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_ethics?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:14Discussion:24593303-4d73-4aaa-8ef4-dca17cb45953Post:b8871ef7-1fca-4a39-8c4c-ec428e45f638">Re: Ethics</a>:
[QUOTE]He's the business owner.  I work for 2 men who are partners, there is no one  else in the company.  What can I do?
Posted by spavigail@hotmail.com[/QUOTE]

I would tell him that you do not feel comfortable doing what he is asking becuase it is plagerism and is unethical.

There is nothing wrong writing an article and citing the financial document as a reference.  But to take the document and change some words around and play it off as your own companies work without any citation or reference is illegal.

Summer2011Bride

He is wrong; it is plagiarism. If someone found out, yes it would probably come back on you as you were the one "writing" it. I would not be willing to risk that, even if my boss requested it. I would tell him you don't feel comfortable doing this, and you can even find online where it states this is still plagiarism (the Purdue OWL-Online Writnig Lab-has some excellent plagiarism resources).

If you are worried about repercussions at work, can you state you aren't comfortable with it, but volunteer to write it yourself without "borrowing" from another site?