Unconscious Plagiarism: Fact or Fiction?

"In conducting research for my new book, Strikingly Similar: Plagiarism and Appropriation from Chaucer to Chatbots, I examined over four thousand claims of appropriation, infringement, and plagiarism. I was struck by how often authors, songwriters, and other artists expressed astonishment when these similarities were pointed out to them."

"In Rod Stewart's case, it was the strong resemblance between his "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" (1978) and the Brazilian artist Jorge Ben Jor's song "Taj Mahal" (1977). In his autobiography, Stewart speculated that he had heard "Taj Mahal" during the Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro, when Ben Jor's song was getting massive airplay."

"Most famously, Harrison released "My Sweet Lord" in 1978 but was taken to task for appropriating the Chiffons' "He's So Fine," which dropped in 1963. The song was a massive hit for the girl group, and as a fellow musician, Harrison undoubtedly heard it many times."

Prominent artists including Mark Twain, Rod Stewart, Robert Louis Stevenson, and George Harrison have claimed to unconsciously plagiarize others' work when confronted with striking similarities. Research examining over four thousand appropriation claims reveals artists frequently express genuine astonishment upon discovering these resemblances. Specific cases include Twain's dedication mirroring Oliver Wendell Holmes's inscription, Stevenson's Treasure Island paralleling Washington Irving's Tales of a Traveler, Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" resembling Jorge Ben Jor's "Taj Mahal," and Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" echoing the Chiffons' "He's So Fine." The central question remains whether unconscious plagiarism represents a legitimate psychological phenomenon or merely excuses carelessness and intentional appropriation.

Read at Psychology Today