Whose Joke Is It?

• Author: Galanes, Philip
• Position: Ethical Dilemma - Column

I have a close friend who posts jokes on social media almost daily. Recently, I discovered that these posts are lifted, word for word, from the Twitter feeds of famous comedians and authors. But my friend doesn't credit them; he acts as if he's the author. Facebook friends say how clever he is. (The weird thing? He's funny enough to write his own posts.) Should I say something?--Name withheld

PILFERING OTHER PEOPLE'S intellectual property (or using their work without attribution) is as bad as stealing their backpacks. Your friend's actions discredit the originality of hard-working writers, even if he has only 100 followers. This...