Plagiarism.org has developed a statistics-based technology (the "Document Source Analysis") which creates a "digital fingerprint" of every document in its database. Web crawlers are then unleashed to scour Internet and find documents with same fingerprint and a colour-coded report is generated. An instructor, teacher, or professor can then use report to prove plagiarism and cheating.

Piracy is often considered to be a form of viral marketing (even by software developers and publishers). The author's, publisher's, or software house's data are preserved intact in cracked copy. Pirated copies of e-books often contribute to increased sales of print versions. Crippled versions of software or pirated copies of software without its manuals, updates and support - often lead to purchase of a licence. Not so with plagiarism. The identities of author, editor, publisher and illustrator are deleted and replaced by details of plagiarist. And while piracy is discussed freely and fought vigorously - discussion of plagiarism is still taboo and actively suppressed by image-conscious and endowment-weary academic institutions and media. It is an uphill struggle but plagiarism.org has taken first resolute step.

Sam Vaknin is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He is a columnist for Central Europe Review, United Press International (UPI) and eBookWeb and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com.

Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com

Enter Amazon. Its "Honour System" is licenced to third party web sites (such as Bartleby.com and SatireWire). It allows people to donate money or effect micro-payments, apparently through its patented one-click system. As far as web sites are concerned, there are two major drawbacks: all donations and payments are refundable within 30 days and Amazon charges them 15 cents per transaction plus 15(!) percent. By far worst deal in town.

So, why fuss?

Because of Amazon's customer list. This development emphasizes growing realization that one's list of customers - properly data mined - is greatest asset, greater even than original content and more important than distribution channels and digital right management or asset management applications. Merchants are willing to pay for access to this ever expanding virtual neighbourhood (even if they are not made privy to customer information collected by Amazon).

The Honour System looks suspiciously similar to payment system designed by Amazon for Stephen King's serialized e-novel, "The Plant". Interesting to note how needs of authors and publishers are now in driver's seat, helping to spur along innovations in business methods.

Sam Vaknin is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He is a columnist for Central Europe Review, United Press International (UPI) and eBookWeb and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com.

Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com