A word of warning to students or office workers who freely “copy and paste” text from the Internet and pass it off as their own: SkyLine Inc. has just released Plagiarism-Detector 8.0 (available at plagiarism-detector online), a new tool that can verify a document’s originality by comparing text to what’s available on the Web.

Specifically, this Windows-based software uses a series of algorithms to check phrases in documents -- including .doc, .pdf, .ppt, .rtf, and .txt files -- against Google’s massive search index. Based on the level of scrutiny you choose (quick, basic, advanced, or custom), you’ll see immediate results in the form of a report that’s viewable in a browser window, says the company.

Designed for teachers, professors, editors, publishers, and company executives, the administrator can also place multiple documents to be reviewed in a queue.

Prices range from $50 to $100, depending on the version.