Nobody likes plagiarizers. Except, I suppose, plagiarizers. Though, I would guess, they probably don't appreciate getting called out about it. What I do appreciate (and I hope some plagiarizers would) is this new word I found for plagiarizer: brain sucker.
If that makes you think of the little aliens from Metroid Prime, you are not alone. This term also reminds me of brain-eating zombies. I adore using both these images as context for how plagiarism works, but my admiration for this term goes much deeper.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a brain sucker as, "A person who takes credit for or benefits undeservedly from the intellectual labour of others; a plagiarist, a parasite."
I appreciate this definition because it emphasizes the damage plagiarism does to the other person. Especially when it comes to the creative arts. Often people focus on the laziness of plagiarism, but I think there needs to be more conversation on how it discredits the original creator and devalues the work plagiarized.
I think it's worth noting that this is one of my biggest issues with the use of AI in the creative arts. If everyone has access to ideas via a giant pot luck of writing and art, there is less value in the work of the original idea-makers because all one has to do to get their ideas is plug in a prompt to the AI. The lack of credit given and undeserved benefits taken by AI paired with the vast amount of access it has make it the ultimate example of a brain sucker.
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