I've taken the below from Mike Johnstons Blog http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/
It's really worth reading and aside from the actual question of copyright and plagiarism. There is another. What do we really learn by making exact copies of photographs that have impressed us? The most important aspect of this art lies in expression. That is where creation stems from;
Naturally any artist is inspired by those that came before them. Artists have picked up guitars, pens, brushes and cameras because they have been moved by the artist. But we can only progress by expressing our own thoughts and feelings on the world.
Anyway, an interesting read.
Borrowing Copyrights
by Carolyn E. Wright, Esq.
David Segal, a writer for the Style section of The Washington Post, recently posted an article/slide show on Slate that was linked here on T.O.P. asking whether photographers can be plagiarists. Legally, the answer is no.
According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means:
“to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own use (another's production) without crediting the source;â€