Really, it isn't.
No matter what your teachers, parents, or peers may have told you, plagiarism is not a crime.
It's an academic offense.
Infringing on someone's copyright may be a crime—and you may be infringing on someone's copyright when you plagiarize—but plagiarism, in itself, is not illegal.
That's why schools throw around words like "unethical" and "immoral" when they tell you about plagiarism. That's all they've got. They try and create confusion, of course, to scare you into obeying their rules. But they can't do much if you know the truth.
Which, to say it in positive terms, is this:
Plagiarism is legal
No matter what your teachers, parents, or peers may have told you, plagiarism is not a crime.
It's an academic offense.
Infringing on someone's copyright may be a crime—and you may be infringing on someone's copyright when you plagiarize—but plagiarism, in itself, is not illegal.
That's why schools throw around words like "unethical" and "immoral" when they tell you about plagiarism. That's all they've got. They try and create confusion, of course, to scare you into obeying their rules. But they can't do much if you know the truth.
Which, to say it in positive terms, is this:
Plagiarism is legal