It is said that “Plagiarism is the greatest form of flattery”. So in some ways I feel quite honored that some of the things I have written for my company website have been copied by other companies to use verbatim.
For little sections of text, a particular way of saying things perhaps, I can understand. There’s only so many ways you can say something after all. I’d say something like copying:
This is by far the most common type of worktop in the UK and comes in a range of standard colours
I would find not unreasonable.
Copying something clearly unique like
Worktops for your kitchen (bathroom, work shop and many other places too…) Worktop or countertop, whatever you call it it takes more punishment than many other parts of your kitchen. It also has to look good for a long time, no matter how many times the children cut their sandwiches without using a chopping board!
is pushing your luck. I caught a company using that extract form our website around 2001.
However, I have to take my hat off to an Italian company. The don’t just copy text, they copy with style: worktops:
XXXX srl in XXXXXXXX Italy
Number one for worktops
high quality for worktops
A manufacturing firm of furniture components is situated in XXXXXXXX (LE), it has been working since 1974.
It is qualified in planning and manufacturing worktops with backsplash covered with HPL laminate.
……(snip)………
Laminate Worktops
What makes a good laminate worktop?All the worktops sold by Roots are high quality, kitchen grade worktops. Not the cheapest available but designed for long life and long term good looks. Finishing touches such as a “hot melt seal” or “drip seal” repel water to stop spillages running along the base of the worktop and into your kitchen units.
That last paragraph looks awfully familiar…. yeah, they even copied the bit with our company name in it. That reminds me of a trip abroad when I was a teenager. People were always trying to sell you a “Genuine fake Rolex”.