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- Since that $750 per family is money we don't have, that would be $750 per family plus interest on the debt in perpetuity. Or it could be monetized, in which case it regressively taxes everyone...
- For the record, the supporters of "Google violates its 'Don't be Evil' motto swept the floor with the Google apologists, even with Googleboy Larry Lessig in the audience. See the...
- Slippery slopes are everywhere, so I wouldn't worry about them. These issues about probable cause only apply to the government, as I understand them, but IANAL. Assuming there were something to...
- Apparently I can reply to your comment via e-mail. We'll see if this works. (later) Indeed it does, with a few formatting weirdnesses is all.
- Same here. My response to you hasn't shown up.I guess Disqus doesn't want to get anyone upset.
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1 year ago
1 year ago
Is there a legitimate market for student papers to be included in plagiarism-checking databases? Or for resale to further plagiarism?
If there are no legitimate markets at all, it seems like that fact would tend to undercut the cost recovery rationale for copyright, limit the infringement argument (because there's no improper appropriation), and maybe strengthen at least one factor of a fair use defense.
1 year ago
In the case of student papers, Turnitin is scanning un-published works as opposed to published ones. These papers may contain the private thoughts and opinions of the students, intended only to be seen by the instructor and no one else. In addition to copyright issues, these papers may have privacy issues as well. In addition, to what degree can a commercial company use the works of minors without their consent?
However, I think that my problem on this issue is that I have a gut feeling of unfairness regarding this issue which an objective comparison to Google . It would seem that the biggest difference is the fact that Google spiders and scans published works whereas Turnitin archives unpublished works coercively obtained from students.
1 year ago
If Turnitin was used as designed, as a teaching tool, allowing the students to do a self-check of their papers, this lawsuit probably never would have happened. Most people are ignorant to the fact that a large percentage of the student papers that are submitted consist of words and ideas taken from other authors without proper citation or acknowledgment. The student that initiated this whole scam lawsuit is a D level student. Do you think it is fair to the honest, hardworking students when the cheaters get better grades on papers by using what someone else wrote?
1 year ago
Isn't that a false conundrum? I don't think the equation is Turnitin is legal moral and therefore anyone who thinks otherwise is in favor of unfairness and cheaters. It is perfectly possible to think that Turnitin could be a violation of copyright even if it serves a potentially reasonable end. However, I don't buy your implied "the end justifies the means" rationale.