Turnitin.com Sued

First, I would like to thank the Brain and GBA for their welcome.

Next, I would like to share a piece of intelligence which will not bring tears to many eyes. It may prove diverting, and some may even break out a bottle of Extra Old.

Our favorite paper-scanning site is being sued by some high school students in Virginia and Arizona. The point that they raise is that Turnitin.com archives all that papers that it scans. The students requested that the site not archive their papers, which it did. They are going to argue that because the site profits from their intellectual property Turnitin.com violates the copyrights that the students hold on the papers.

"Andrew Beckerman-Rodau, co-director of the intellectual property law program at Suffolk University Law School, said that although the law regarding fair use is subject to interpretation, he thinks the students have a good case.

"Typically, if you quote something for education purposes, scholarship or news reports, that's considered fair use," Beckerman-Rodau said. "But it seems like Turnitin is a commercial use. They turn around and sell this service, and it's expensive. And the service only works because they get these papers.""[1]


And there was much rejoicing. We will keep you posted on the developments of the case.

Thanks for reading.

~The Heart

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[1] Gold, Maria. "McLean Students Sue Anti-Cheating Service." Washington Post 29 Mar. 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802038.html.

Plagiarism is defined as the borrowing in whole or in part of another's work with out proper attribution.