Microsoft sues test preparation site
A suit filed by Microsoft in federal court in Seattle offers an interesting glimpse into the world of IT certification exams. It's against Testking.com, which offers training materials to help people prepare for certification tests given by Microsoft and other companies. The gist of the complaint:
Microsoft is informed and believes, and on that basis alleges, that the Microsoft Certification Exam materials defendants sell through Testking.com contain exam questions and answers that are either identical or substantially similar to Microsoft's copyrighted exam questions and answers. Microsoft has not licensed or authorized defendants to copy or distribute its copyrighted exam content.
Among other things, the suit outlines the measures Microsoft takes to try protect the exams from leaking out. Here's a copy of the complaint:
PDF.
Microsoft's allegations, if true, would cast a whole new light on the promise Testking makes on its Web site, guaranteeing that people will pass on their first attempt. It adds later: "Each Microsoft resource available from Test King has been hand crafted by our team of practicing Microsoft IT Professionals."
The complaint was filed last week as a John Doe lawsuit, seeking in part to identify the people behind the site. Testking lists a mailing address under the name Certification Trendz Limited in Haslemere, United Kingdom, and I wasn't able to find a phone number for that company in an online U.K. directory.
Posted by Todd Bishop at August 16, 2006 11:09 a.m.