literary theft

Literary theft is the act of taking another writer's words, ideas, or creative work and presenting them as one's own.

The term emphasizes the moral dimension—treating intellectual property as something that can be stolen.

It covers everything from verbatim copying to subtler appropriation of plots, characters, or distinctive phrases.

The lawsuit alleged literary theft, claiming the bestseller lifted entire passages from an obscure novel.

The line between theft and legitimate influence is often contested.