By Kathleen Butler, Deputy Director
Kathleen Butler is NCIDQ’s Deputy Director and resident policy wonk. She also oversees NCIDQ’s intellectual property and guards our rights closely in that area. In this follow-up to her cheating post, she explains when sharing study materials crosses the line into illegal activity.
Just as important as knowing your obligations during the exam, it's equally important to know when you cross the line with respect to NCIDQ’s copyrights and intellectual property. Reselling or donating your study materials is acceptable; making copies (electronically or otherwise) to share with others is not acceptable. (The same goes for using the NCIDQ logo without our permission. The logo is a registered trademark, and we do not allow others to use it.)
NCIDQ’s study materials are registered with the copyright authorities. Copying part of an NCIDQ publication either by photocopying it or scanning it violates our copyright, which is a federal offense. Sharing copies or e-mailing it to someone compounds the violation. We monitor Web sites, forums, blogs and social media sites on the Internet, and when necessary, take action against people who violate our copyright. When you send files to someone you connect with on the Internet, it could be NCIDQ or our investigators, and that becomes evidence in our case.
We took legal action against an exam applicant who uploaded a considerable amount of our study material to a Web site for anyone to access. In additional to a financial settlement, the applicant was not allowed to take the exam until she had met our conditions.
Another candidate paid us several thousand dollars in legal fees after she posted a page of our study materials on Google docs. While her actions were not malicious, they were nonetheless a violation of our rights.
When a person violates our copyright, we may take legal action against them and, in some cases, their firm, since any activity done on a firm’s computer network exposes the firm to legal liability as well.
My advice to you is this: don’t copy any NCIDQ materials. You may be subject to legal action from us, we may deny you entrance into the examination, and worse, your employer may take action against you.
I know what you’re thinking, “But everyone does it!” or “I can’t afford to buy all that stuff!” I’d ask you to think about what it means to be a professional interior designer. You have invested extensive amounts of time and money to get this far in your journey. You’re working toward this professional credential, which requires more time and more money. Don’t compromise the value of your investment by chipping away at its integrity. You have a responsibility to act in a professional and ethical manner throughout your career. Set your moral compass on the right course in the beginning, and be a role model for all those who will follow in your path.
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