galoisien

A problem that asks you to do f(g(h(x))) may be tedious, but it's hardly a creative work that merits copyright.

xiggi

Why is something that is hardly creative worth ... copying and stealing? If it were that easy to reproduce SAT questions that are relevant and accurate, why did KD not use her millions of income to develop her own sets of material instead of ignoring basic copyright laws and allowing or forcing her employees to infringe on someone else's intellectual properties.

The fact that something is easy to steal does not make it less of a crime. The settlement indicates that KD understands that ... now.

Let's hope that someone makes sure that the $400,000 worth of services dedicated to low-income students gets handled properly.

missypie

xiggi, yes they probably need to go on campus at some of the schools. Saying, "Hey low income kids, feel free to come out to this strip center in Colleyville" (to which there is no public transportation) probably won't be very helpful.

I keep stressing that it was a copyright infringement suit because the publicity surrounding the CB's threat to cancel scores made it sound like KD had somehow given the kids answer sheets or had otherwise somehow facilitated cheating.

amyjohnson

Missypie...KDCP came pretty close to your definition of cheating, according to the College Board's allegations. The "PVA" test (which, if your student took classes at KDCP since 2006 summer, check their binder because you've got it in your possession right now...DT2...we looked) was a "live" test, meaning that the College Board had not allowed it to be distributed. To create a test takes monumental effort -- and though some of you might think equations aren't a demonstration of "creativity," go ahead and spend a few hours trying to write Critical Reading questions and see how diifficult it is. It's hard, and requires a lot of time and money, and therefore SHOULD be protected by copyright.

Because of the huge amount of time and money it takes for College Board to create these tests, they don't always release their tests, but instead reuse some of the problems in later years. Somehow, someway, KDCP allegedly got a copy of this "live" test and distributed it to all of its students (along with answers!). If the College Board had reused these problems later on, KDCP students would have had a HUGE HUGE advantage on this test, and that's just not fair. So, according to CB's allegations (which, if they weren't true, would have opened CB up to a huge slander lawsuit), what KDCP has done is tantamount to giving thousands of students a live test with answers.

That, along with the live PSAT that KDCP allegedly obtained well before students were done testing, is the reason why CB threatened to cancel scores. I doubt CB would threaten such a thing lightly. In my opinion, they had good cause -- and excellent evidence -- to back up their allegations.

Liist

Ruining people's lives, taking lots of money, "non-profit", guarding their copyright like crazy...

Scientology and the College Board have a lot of parallels.

galoisien

Oh that changes EVERYTHING.

I thought the company had been simply using past tests.

Now I'm definitely sympathising with College Board here, as much as I detest them on other occasions.

Nickel Xenon

I didn't think this was such a big deal. My classmate works for this company too and when he told us about it, he made it out to be sort of a joke. I guess it was really serious. =/

bandnerd91321

She sits for all the exams and then pays to get them in the mail, just like we do. She apparently also said that a lot of them she actually bought from the CB when they used to sell them for use, before 2005(?, I think). After they stopped selling them, they told everyone they had to stop using the ones they had already bought. She believed that she paid for them rightfully and therefore could still use them. Later, the CB issued a complaint and she stopped at that time. But this PSAT thing brought the CB back at her door. Don't quote me exactly, but that was the gist of it months ago.

dark knight

This is new information. News reports have been unclear. Are you (amyjohnson) saying that KDCP (a) somehow got hold of an unreleased exam and (b) also got hold of a PSAT BEFORE it was administered? This is very different from the news reports I read. They made it seem that KDCP somehow got hold of a PSAT AFTER it had been given. This makes a BIG difference. If what you are saying is true then I can see why KDCP had to pay a one million dollar fine.

galoisien

Actually that isn't the legal criteria for copyright ... the important thing is "significant original and *creative* authorship".

For one thing, the bulk of a CR test isn't even copyrighted by CB, but by others. It's plausible that CB had to spend a lot of time and money looking up the psychometrics, databases and the normal distribution curve to ask their questions, but then this should be a case of trade secret law, or patent law, etc.

The main thing that concerns me is when the tests were distributed -- I simply detest regulations that prevent you from discussing questions *you've already done* and whose content is stored in your head -- but virtually cheating on a test makes me swing the other direction.

dark knight

galosien - interesting points. I just finished taking several AP tests. The tests are now completed. As you wrote their content is stored in my head. Why can't I discuss questions with my teachers? They worked hard to prepare me. Yet, if I talk with them about the test I will be treated like a criminal. I don't understand. Your thoughts?????

atrophicwhisper

Think legal fees and paying people to come up with the tests. It's more than just paper (which, if mass produced, can be quite costly.)

Though, I do think that ~45 bucks for the SAT seems a bit costly *cough* *cough*

en42

quick comment on the whole "nonprofit" issue:
I think this was brought up earlier, but the CB is NOT and has never claimed to be nonprofit. The article was simply wrong. The CB IS a not-for-profit corporation, and there is an enormous difference, though the two can overlap. Legally and practically, nonprofit and not-for-profit companies are not the same. wikipedia them for more details.

Cicero109

Hi how do you contact the webmaster?

PBailey

@cicero109: scroll down and click on "contact us"