Standard protocol in the US dictates that the tassel be worn on the right side of one's mortarboard at commencement and then, during the ceremony, moved to the left side. Teachers and administrators at commencement place their tassels on the left. It symbolizes one's transition from candidate to graduate.
copy. 1  an imitation, reproduction, or transcript of an original: a copy of a famous painting. 2  one of the various examples or specimens of the same book, engraving, or the like. 3  written matter intended to be reproduced in printed form: The editor sent the copy for the next issue to the printer.
A clone is an identical copy of something and is a term that first became familiar to the public from the biosciences. In the computer industry, the term became widely used in referring to imitations of the IBM PC by Compaq, Dell, and others.