News
CompTIA Settles Suit with Cheet-Sheets.com
Association reaches settlement on copyright, trademark infringement lawsuit filed against Keen; other vendors keeping eyes on suit, pondering similar action.
CertCities' Editor Becky Nagel reports that the Computer Technology Industry Association recently settled a copyright and trademark lawsuit it filed May 21, 2001, against Keen Interactive, owners of the site Cheet-Sheets.com. In the suit, CompTIA alleged that Cheet-Sheets.com violated CompTIA's copyrights by selling questions that appear on CompTIA's A+ and other exams.
"We feel obliged to protect the integrity of our program," said Lutz Ziob, vice president of certification for CompTIA. The settlement requests that Keen destroy all CompTIA-related materials on the Cheet-Sheets site, compensate CompTIA for financial damages, and disclose to CompTIA customers who purchased materials on the site.
Several certification programs whose tests are also covered by Cheet-Sheets.com materials have been keeping an eye on this suit.
"Microsoft is aware of the issues surrounding Cheet-Sheets.com," said Anne Marie McSweeney, director of certification skills and assessment. "The value of certification resides in a given credential clearly representing a skill set and demonstrating that an individual has experience working with the technologies," she added. "Those companies and individuals who attempt to circumvent the normal process of earning a certification do a grave disservice to the industry and to themselves."
Read the full story at http://certcities.com/editorial/news/story.asp?EditorialsID=183.
About the Author
Becky Nagel is the vice president of Web & Digital Strategy for 1105's Converge360 Group, where she oversees the front-end Web team and deals with all aspects of digital projects at the company, including launching and running the group's popular virtual summit and Coffee talk series . She an experienced tech journalist (20 years), and before her current position, was the editorial director of the group's sites. A few years ago she gave a talk at a leading technical publishers conference about how changes in Web browser technology would impact online advertising for publishers. Follow her on twitter @beckynagel.