– The great Turkish Cartoonist ERAY OZBEK – If we want to determine a definition of plagiarism , what can we say?
“Someone steals and uses an original idea of an artist”, this is plagiarism.
– The most prominent reasons that may come to the mind against Plagiarism, is to protect the intellectual property of the artist, does it so only, or the Plagiarism affects what is deepest in the art of cartoon? In other words, what are the reasons that make us stand against Plagiarism?
-Every honest man is against robbery and injustice, this is normal. Especially young cartoonists are spending more time for phobia of plagiarism instead of drawing their new cartoons. This is the most important effect of plagiarism.
3- What is the structure of cartoon painting in your opinion, and when might call the two cartoons similar or plagiarism, compared to those structures?
I can’t say: “This is plagiarized or not!”. Only the author can know it. I can say only: “It is more or less similar”, “Probability of plagiarism is high or low”. There are such elements as idea, style and technique, and message in classical cartoons. Those can help us to estimate the existence of plagiarism. But I think that all cartoons still don’t have the same structure. In current artistic cartoons (We see those mostly in competitions)- idea and technique can be interconnected, the message can be uncertain or completely absent.
4- – The great Romanian cartoonist Julian Pena Pai had discussed four specific states in measuring the cartoon painting according to another, (Copy or plagiarism- Similarity with the same message – Similarity with different message& Original idea.) what do you think of such division, and is it possible to adopt theoretically in a form of law where the search frame of the plagiarism issue stands on?
The classification of dear Mr Pena-Pai is a concrete and precious idea. It is useful until a better one is found. I prefer to call our problem “similarity” instead of “plagiarism”. I think that we must determine by two identically similar cartoons :
” Which one has priority ? ” but not : ” Which one is plagiarist ? “. And we can search the rules for these determinations.
5- How do you evaluate the internet role against the issue of plagiarism? is it a negative role or a positive one? and how?
– Now in internet, there are many cartoons to be stolen, but there are also many many witnesses. The internet is a very useful tool to find the similar cartoons and to determine the priority. Because to forward the news (denunciations) is very easy by internet.
6- Do you think it’s possible to go after the issue of plagiarism in order to end it? and what are the most important difficulties that may stand as obstacles in the face of canceling on plagiarism.
– We recognize the plagiarists, but it takes time. The number of similar cartoons is very high, in spite of this, we know that the plagiarist-cartoonists are very rare. It’s able to stop theme partly, with some punishments, but the most important difficulty for fighting against the plagiarism is the danger of injuring the innocents.
7- After this, how do you evaluate the work of (D Q) committee in general, and regarding its debates about the plagiarism issue in specific?
– I’m waiting for the concrete results. I think that we must declare our opinions about : Which properties are necessary to call a “second similar cartoon” is also “original” ? Or, in which level similarity, is a “similar second cartoon” a death birth ?
8- Have you ever passed in a situation of plagiarism for your cartoons yourself? And what was your reaction towards this?
– Yes, it happened a couple of time (both situations). Those were no’t so pleasent . But I’m not angry or unhappy, because such accidents can happen to everybody.
9- One last word you would like to say?
– I tried to speak shortly, hopping that the people listen to it.
The Great Turkish Cartoonist ERAY OZBEK thank you very much
Interview By: Nizar Outhman
Interview with the great Turkish Cartoonist Eray Ozbek – By: Nizar Outhman