Plagiarizing the Plagiarist's Bio?

pla·gia·rism /ˈpleɪdʒəˌrɪzəm, -dʒiəˌrɪz-/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pley-juh-riz-uhm, -jee-uh-riz-] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work.
2. something used and represented in this manner.

Source: dictionary.com

Did the Globe & Mail and the Canadian Press ironically plagiarize the bio of now-admitted plagiarist Owen Lippert?

You be the judge.

Reading this article in Wednesday's G&M, 'Grits continue their attack over Iraq speech', I was struck by the fact that the biographical details of Mr Lippert's career sounded awfully familiar so I went back and checked a link to the Frasier Institute that I had used in my post yesterday about this scandal.

Here's the Frasier Institute's bio:

Owen Lippert holds a Ph.D. in Modern European History from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Following his graduation in 1983, he worked as managing editor for the Asia and World Institute in Taipei, Taiwan. Returning to Canada in 1984, he worked first as a caucus researcher for the Social Credit government and, then as a policy analyst for the Office of the Premier until 1991. He joined the staff of Kim Campbell as press secretary during Campbell's tenure as attorney general of Canada and minister of Justice. In 1993, while an advisor during Campbell's leadership campaign, he taught at Carleton University and the University of British Columbia and he was a senior policy advisor in Industry and Science Canada during Campbell's tenure as Prime Minister. In 1994, Dr. Lippert worked on contract for the Canadian department of Justice before going to work as a senior policy analyst at The Fraser Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1996, he joined the Editorial Board of The Globe & Mail in Toronto. His specialties are public policy and legal reform.

And here's the way it's written in today's G&M:

After earning a Ph.D. in modern European history from the University of Notre Dame, he worked as managing editor for the Asia and World Institute in Taiwan, according to online biographies. He returned to Canada in 1984 to work as a caucus researcher for British Columbia's Social Credit government and then as a policy analyst for the premier's office until 1991.

He was Kim Campbell's press secretary when she was the federal justice minister and was an adviser to her campaign for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. He has also taught at Carleton University and the University of British Columbia, was a senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute in Vancouver, and wrote editorials for The Globe and Mail for a short time in 1996.

Methinks that looks an awful lot like plagiarism. Or does the claim "according to online biographies" provide enough cover? I don't think so. Maybe we should ask Lippert who is, after all, an expert on intellectual property issues.

Round and round we go...