Even if Google ignores meta tags, I think it's still important to use them.
If Google does read 'em, then you will get an edge on sites which don't use 'em. If Google doesn't read 'em then you haven't lost anything by including them..... they may help with other engines.
As for people copying pages....... that's a temporary webmaster trick. They'll find another career quicker than they think doing that.
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