Slate has a fascinating article on plagiarism and the implications of Google Book Search:

For any plagiarist living in an age of search engines, waving a loaded book in front of reviewers has become the literary equivalent of suicide by cop.

As it turns out, even authors not living in this online age are in trouble.

The surprise plagiarist: Lawrence Sterne, who swiped his rant against plagiarism from Robert Burton.

It’s well worth a read.