Applying the Theft Penalty to Intellectual Theft
What is the legal ruling in Islam regarding intellectual theft—I mean copying or paraphrasing or editing in a new form an intellectual work, a book or portion of a book or an article published in a periodical without citing the original writer? Does intellectual theft have the same ruling in Shari`ah as stealing money and other material things, taking into consideration that it may have further negative effects than other kinds of stealing?
