I'm no fan of National Public Radio but I found this audio file (a "Talk of the Nation" program about "cut and paste" plagiarism) very interesting. The talk covers the extent of the problem, the loose ethics which spawns plagiarism (including at very young ages), and the use of new technology to defend against "cheat sites."A couple of the participants are duds (like the naive Ohio University professor who refuses to "play policeman" to his students because he doesn't want to hurt their feelings) but the overall discussion is certainly worthwhile.
If you're interested in more information, take a look at Plagiarism.org or Turn It In, an intriguing plagiarism prevention service. And if you simply need a primer on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it, see these outlines from Indiana University and Purdue University.
