What are you reading right now? (possible RotE spoilers)

['thul]

Actually, there's a number of pointers in his works to things he's taken from elsewhere... So it is quite possibly intentional...

The dwarven city "Tronjheim" is essentially the misspelled name for a Norwegian city that has several spellings on its name. (main ones are: trondheim, trondhjem)

Oh, and 'thul are in another argumentative mood...
Paolini's elves started out elsewhere on some other continent and came across the seas to where dragons lived. By ship yes, but what options were there really?

Tolkien's elves started out in middle earth, then were invited to Valinor by the Valar before later returning to middle earth by way of ships built in some particular style.
The differences are great and apparent even in just those two short phrases.

In tolkienverse elves start out east, then go west then east. Humans start out east, go shorter distance west then stop. In Paoliniverse, elves start west then go east. Humans start out west then go east. Dwarves do not show a distinctive population-wide movement in either world.

There are traits borrowed from other works of fantasy, but they are not unchanged. true theft would be to simply cut parts of a story and lay claim to it before using it.

'thul were particularly pleased with the intimate details of a certain trade given in brisingr (unspoiling link: see name of book. If you've read it, you probably know which situation it is)
Book 4 has a number of traits that are even more unique than those used in the preceding ones... A good part of it can probably be attributed to the fact that he has developed further as an author. Also, as a story builds up, it will grow on its own.


oh, and 'thul will give an argument for why all stories are essentially the same... Its silly, but its there:

All stories are, when boiled down fully, a fight of good vs. evil/right vs. wrong. It might not be named so, but that is the essence of it all.