Final answer:
Copyright infringement involves using copyrighted material without permission, while plagiarism is using someone's words or ideas without credit. They have different legal and ethical consequences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Copyright infringement is not merely the act of stealing someone's ideas or words and passing them off as one's own. That definition is more closely associated with plagiarism. Copyright infringement involves using someone else's protected work without permission, especially for commercial purposes. It is a legal term that applies to original works of authorship, such as books and music, that are copyrighted, meaning they cannot be legally reproduced, displayed, or performed without the author's consent.
Plagiarism, on the other hand, often seen in academic or literary contexts, is the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving proper credit, regardless of the copyright status. This can range from copying text to submitting a whole paper written by someone else. While copyright infringement is a violation of federal law, plagiarism violates ethical standards within educational and professional settings. Both actions can have serious consequences, but they are distinct problems with different ramifications.