A Certification/Training Company Stole Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Used It Word-For-Word: This Scandal is a Big "Dumpster Fire"
25 June 2024
Including supporting information, this article is organized into nine sections:
- Introduction
- Overview of Graffius' Copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' Property
- CertiProf Violated of Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights — CertiProf Infringed on Graffius' Copyright
- Conclusion
- About Scott M. Graffius
- About Copyright and Other IP Rights
- References/Sources
- Attributions and Other Notes
- How to Cite This Article
Introduction
It's important to be optimistic and focus on a bright future. However, we must also take a stand against those who commit evil acts, such as the violation of intellectual property rights. Copyright infringement, in particular, is a deplorable act of intellectual theft that displays a blatant disregard for professionalism, morality, ethics, and the law. It undermines the hard work and innovation of others and is a shameful, unprofessional, dishonest, immoral, unethical, and illegal practice. Those who engage in copyright infringement should be identified and held accountable for their actions. Taking a stand against those who commit evil acts helps ensure that justice is served and that others are protected from harm.
IP rights are so important that IP theft is a federal crime.
Scott M. Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyrights and other IP rights. When others infringe on Graffius’ IP rights, situations generally fall into one of two categories:
- IP owner Graffius notifies the offending party of their infringement and the required remediation, and the matter is resolved; or
- IP owner Graffius notifies the offending party of their infringement and the required remediation, and the offending party’s action or inaction necessitates that qualified attorney and/or a U.S. agency is engaged, and the matter is resolved.
Most situations fall under category 1. However, some offending parties seem determined to make an already bad situation worst; they fall under category 2.
This article covers the news that certification/training company CertiProf violated Scott M. Graffius’ intellectual property rights by misusing his ‘Phases of Team Development’ copyrighted 2018 property.
- CertiProf did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ IP.
- CertiProf used effectively all of Graffius’ respective IP.
- CertiProf used Graffius’ IP word-for-word.
- CertiProf used Graffius’ IP commercially — in its certification/training program, for its own financial benefit.
- CertiProf did not quote or attribute the work to Graffius, thereby falsely leading readers to believe that it was the author and owner of Graffius’ IP.
For those reasons, CertiProf violated Graffius’ IP rights. Specifically, CertiProf infringed on Graffius’ copyright; CertiProf’s use was not ‘fair use’ — not even close!
Copyright infringement is a deplorable act of intellectual theft, displaying a flagrant disregard for professionalism, morality, ethics, and the law. It undermines the hard work and innovation of others and is a disgraceful, unprofessional, dishonest, immoral, unethical, and illegal practice.
Ensuring the integrity of intellectual property is paramount. Graffius is resolute in protecting and enforcing his copyrights and other IP rights.
This article presents facts — including visuals and additional evidence — and a critical analysis of this serious category 2 situation. It also covers the serious, multiple cases against CertiProf.
Overview of Graffius' Copyrighted 'Phases of Team Development' Property
Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman, Ph.D. and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 100 subsequent studies, and Scott M. Graffius’ first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his ‘Phases of Team Development.’ It’s a unique perspective on the five phases of team development — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning — and it’s inclusive of the characteristics/features/traits and strategies (based on data, and crafted in ‘plain English’ for optimal clarity and utility) for each phase.
The body of Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ article has text in typical — not bullet point — format. That content (typical format text from Graffius’ copyrighted article) was infringed upon by CertiProf.
(For reference only, Graffius’ same article includes a visual which incorporates a graph showing how performance varies by phase, as well as the characteristics/features/traits and strategies for each phase. The visual has text in bullet-point format. Again, the body of the article has text in typical — not bullet point — format; that typical format text was infringed upon by CertiProf.)
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
He initially developed his material in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it. An authorized respective example of his IP (2018 version) is here: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/Using-Bruce-Tuckmans-Phases-of-Team-Development.html and other locations. It is shown below as well.
The relevant (2018) version of Graffius’ copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ is at the preceding link. He promoted his 2018 work via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/scottgraffius_team-teamdevelopment-teamdynamics-activity-6567890493282361345-vrWP/ and other social media platforms.
(For reference only, the most current [2024] edition of Graffius' ‘Phases of Team Development’ is here: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/teams-2024.html.)
Here’s a macro/wide view of Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development.'
Here’s a zoomed-in view of Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development,' showing the relevant text.
Here’s a zoomed-in view of Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development,' showing his copyright statement.
As shown above, Graffius' copyright ownership details are clearly noted. Specifically: “© Copyright 2018 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.”
Conference organizers, businesses, professional organizations, government agencies, and universities around the world engage Graffius to deliver compelling talks and workshops. To date, he’s presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. His ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP is central and key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are at https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2023-2024-v23110907.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, many organizations have featured and used his ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- Boston University,
- Cisco,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Ford Motor Company,
- GitHub,
- Hasso Plattner Institute Germany,
- IEEE,
- Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Network (LTEN),
- London South Bank University,
- Microsoft,
- New Zealand Government,
- Torrens University Australia,
- UC San Diego,
- TBS Switzerland,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- University of Waterloo Canada,
- U.S. Army,
- U.S. National Park Service,
- U.S. Tennis Association,
- Verizon,
- Virginia Tech,
- Yale University,
- and many others.
CertiProf Violated Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights — CertiProf Infringed on Graffius' Copyright
CertiProf’s website at https://certiprof.com/pages/about-us asserts that: “Through deep partnerships and a steadfast dedication to listening to our community, CertiProf has been enhancing professional lives since 2015.” And CertiProf reports at https://certiprof.com/ that it has “Strategic Alliances” with four organizations: IT Certification Council (ITCC), Agile Alliance, American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Credly by Pearson.
CertiProf shows at https://certiprof.com/blogs/news/certiprof-launches-agile-leader-certification-to-help-develop-agile-leadership-skills that “CertiProf launches Agile Leader certification to help develop agile leadership skills” on May 22, 2023. CertiProf indicates at https://certiprof.com/collections/agile/products/agile-leader-professional-certification-alpc that the Agile Leader training/certification product costs $150.00 and that it includes “Student Material in PDF Format.”
CertiProf did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ IP. Nevertheless, CertiProf included Graffius' 2018 IP in its 2023 respective student material for Agile Leader. And CertiProf used effectively all of Graffius’ respective IP. And CertiProf used Graffius’ IP word-for-word. And CertiProf used Graffius’ IP commercially — in its certification/training program, for its own financial benefit. And CertiProf did not quote or attribute the work to Graffius, thereby falsely leading readers to believe that it was the author and owner of Graffius’ IP. For those reasons, CertiProf violated Graffius’ IP rights. Specifically, CertiProf infringed on Graffius’ copyright; CertiProf’s use was not ‘fair use.’
Evidence is archived and shown below. (Also see the 'Attributions and Other Notes' section. It's located towards the end of the article.)
For reference, here’s the cover image to CertiProf’s infringing 2023 publication.
Here’s page 63 of CertiProf’s infringing 2023 publication.
Here’s a zoomed-in view of page 63 of CertiProf’s infringing 2023 publication.
Here’s a view showing Graffius’ copyrighted 2018 content on Forming, and CertiProf’s 2023 infringement of Graffius’ copyrighted content on Forming.
Here’s a view showing Graffius’ copyrighted 2018 content on Storming, and CertiProf’s 2023 infringement of Graffius’ copyrighted content on Storming.
Here’s a view showing Graffius’ copyrighted 2018 content on Norming, and CertiProf’s 2023 infringement of Graffius’ copyrighted content on Norming.
Here’s a view showing Graffius’ 2018 copyrighted content on Performing, and CertiProf’s 2023 infringement of Graffius’ copyrighted content on Performing.
Here’s a view showing Graffius’ copyrighted 2018 content on Adjourning, and CertiProf’s 2023 infringement of Graffius’ copyrighted content on Adjourning.
CertiProf’s infringement of Graffius' copyright is also delineated next.
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on the characteristics of Forming:
“Characteristics of Forming include questioning, socializing, displaying eagerness, focusing on group identity and purpose, and sticking to safe topics.”
🔴 This is an example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the characteristics of Forming in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Characteristics of Forming include questioning, socializing, displaying eagerness, focusing on group identity and purpose, and sticking to safe topics.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on strategies for Forming:
“Strategies for this phase include taking the 'lead,' providing clear expectations and consistent instructions, and quick response times.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on strategies for Forming in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Strategies for this phase include taking the 'lead,' providing clear expectations and consistent instructions, and quick response times.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on the traits of Storming:
“Traits of Storming include resistance, lack of participation, conflict, competition, high emotions, and moving towards group norms.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the traits of Storming in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Traits of Storming include resistance, lack of participation, conflict, competition, high emotions, and moving towards group norms.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on the strategies for Storming:
“Strategies for this stage include normalizing matters and encouraging leadership.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the strategies of Storming in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Strategies for this stage include normalizing matters and encouraging leadership.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on the features of Norming:
“Features of Norming include reconciliation, relief, lowered anxiety, members are engaged and supportive, and developing cohesion.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the features of Norming in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Features of Norming include reconciliation, relief, lowered anxiety, members are engaged and supportive, and developing cohesion.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on the strategies for Norming:
“Strategies for this phase include recognizing individual and group efforts, providing learning opportunities and feedback, and monitoring the 'energy' of the group.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the strategies for Norming in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Strategies for this phase include recognizing individual and group efforts, providing learning opportunities and feedback, and monitoring the 'energy' of the group.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s my content on the characteristics of Performing: content on the characteristics of Performing:
“Characteristics of Performing include demonstrations of interdependence, healthy system, ability to effectively produce as a team, and balance of task and process orientation.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the characteristics of Performing in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Characteristics of Performing include demonstrations of interdependence, healthy system, ability to effectively produce as a team, and balance of task and process orientation.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on the strategies for Performing:
“Strategies for this stage include celebrating, 'guide from the side' (minimal intervention), encouraging group decision-making and problem-solving, and providing opportunities to share learning across teams.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the strategies for Performing in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Strategies for this stage include celebrating, 'guide from the side' (minimal intervention), encouraging group decision-making and problem-solving, and providing opportunities to share learning across teams.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on the traits of Adjourning:
“Traits of Adjourning include a shift to process orientation, sadness, and recognition of team and individual efforts.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the traits of Adjourning in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Traits of Adjourning include a shift to process orientation, sadness, and recognition of team and individual efforts.”
🟢 From Graffius' copyrighted 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP, here’s his content on the strategies for Adjourning:
“Strategies for this phase include recognizing change, providing an opportunity for summative team evaluations, and providing an opportunity for acknowledgments.”
🔴 This is another example of CertiProf violating the copyright of Graffius' 2018 'Phases of Team Development' IP. CertiProf has the following infringing content on the strategies for Adjourning in their 2023 Agile Leader publication:
“Strategies for this phase include recognizing change, providing an opportunity for summative team evaluations, and providing an opportunity for acknowledgments.”
The conclusion is next.
Conclusion
Certification/training company CertiProf violated Scott M. Graffius’ intellectual property rights by misusing his ‘Phases of Team Development’ copyrighted property.
- CertiProf did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ IP.
- CertiProf used effectively all of Graffius’ respective IP.
- CertiProf used Graffius’ IP word-for-word.
- CertiProf used Graffius’ IP commercially — in its certification/training program, for its own financial benefit.
- CertiProf did not quote or attribute the work to Graffius, thereby falsely leading readers to believe that it was the author and owner of Graffius’ IP.
For the above reasons, CertiProf violated Graffius’ IP rights. Specifically, CertiProf infringed on Graffius’ copyright; CertiProf’s use was not ‘fair use.’
Copyright infringement is a deplorable act of intellectual theft, displaying a flagrant disregard for professionalism, morality, ethics, and the law. It undermines the hard work and innovation of others and is a disgraceful, unprofessional, dishonest, immoral, unethical, and illegal practice.
CertiProf's outrageous infringement has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius' ‘Phases of Team Development’ IP.
Ensuring the integrity of intellectual property is paramount. Graffius is resolute in protecting and enforcing my copyrights and other IP rights.
Graffius will seek, and obtain, the maximum penalties allowed by law. It will include special remedies against CertiProf for “willful infringement.”
Additionally, the U.S. Copyright Office informs that: "In cases of willful infringement for profit, the U.S. Attorney may initiate a criminal investigation."
Furthermore, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) recently received details on this case. The IPR Center combats copyright infringement and other intellectual property theft and related crimes through coordinated efforts with domestic and international partners. It operates under the auspices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
These are serious federal cases against CertiProf, involving significant financial and other consequences.
CertiProf might find themselves wishing they had a certification in avoiding legal entanglements.
To learn more, check out the following additional sections to this article:
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- About Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Rights,
- References/Sources,
- Attributions and Other Notes, and
- How to Cite This Article.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius, PMP, SA, CSP-SM, CSP-PO, CSM, CSPO, ITIL, LSSGB is an agile project management practitioner, consultant, creator, multi-award-winning author, and international public speaker. Founder and CEO of Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions™ and subsidiary Exceptional Agility™, he has generated over $1.9 billion for Global Fortune 500 businesses and other organizations he has served. Graffius and content from his books, talks, workshops, and more have been featured and used by Microsoft, Oracle, Broadcom, Cisco, Gartner, Project Management Institute, IEEE, National Academy of Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Tennis Association, Yale University, and others. He delights audiences with dynamic and engaging talks and workshops on agile project management, AI, video game development, strategic alignment, the science of high performance teams, and more. To date, he's presented sessions at 91 conferences and other events across 25 countries. His full bio is available here.
About Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Rights
For copyright/IP infringement cases, it is recommended that you consult a qualified attorney.
Infringement of copyright and other intellectual property (IP) rights is a deplorable act of intellectual theft, displaying a flagrant disregard for professionalism, morality, ethics, and the law. It undermines the hard work and innovation of others and is a disgraceful, unprofessional, dishonest, immoral, unethical, and illegal practice. IP rights are so important that IP theft is a federal crime.
To learn about copyrights, visit the United States Copyright Office’s website at https://www.copyright.gov.
The Reporting Intellectual Property Crime: A Guide for Victims of Copyright Infringement, Trademark Counterfeiting, and Trade Secret Theft publication by the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is a good resource.
The Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Center coordinates the U.S. government’s response to intellectual property crimes. Visit their website at https://www.iprcenter.gov to learn more.
See References/Sources — the next section of this article — for additional information.
References/Sources
Select bibliography:
- Agile Alliance (n.d.). Agile Alliance. Available at: https://www.agilealliance.org. [Note: CertiProf reports that it has “Strategic Alliances” with four organizations: IT Certification Council (ITCC), Agile Alliance, American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Credly by Pearson.]
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI) (n.d.). American National Standards Institute. Available at: https://www.ansi.org. [Note: CertiProf reports that it has “Strategic Alliances” with four organizations: IT Certification Council (ITCC), Agile Alliance, American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Credly by Pearson.]
- Bartlett, Tom (2021, August 12). The Vaccine Scientist Spreading Vaccine Misinformation. The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/08/robert-malone-vaccine-inventor-vaccine-skeptic/619734/.
- Blaskovic, Andrew K.; Rusk, John-David; Parker, Victor C.; and Payne, Bryson R. (2022). Cybercrime and Intellectual Property Theft: An Analysis of Modern Digital Forensics. In book: Proceedings of the Future Technologies Conference (FTC) 2022, Volume 2. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-18458-1_36.
- CertiProf (n.d.). CertiProf. Available at: https://certiprof.com.
- Credly by Pearson (n.d.). Credly by Pearson. Available at: https://info.credly.com. [Note: CertiProf reports that it has “Strategic Alliances” with four organizations: IT Certification Council (ITCC), Agile Alliance, American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Credly by Pearson.]
- Dolgin, Elie (2021, September 14). The Tangled History of mRNA Vaccines. Nature. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02483-w.
- Dyer, Jeff; Furr, Nathan; Lefrandt, Chris; and Howell, Taeya (2023, January 17). Innovation Depends on Intellectual Honesty. MIT Sloan Management Review. Available at: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-innovation-depends-on-intellectual-honesty/.
- Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions (n.d.). Rate Card for 2023-2024. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/resources/Exceptional-PPM-and-PMO-Solutions-Rate-Card-for-2023-2024-v23110907.pdf.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2021, January 4). Phases of Team Development (Update for 2021). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2021, January 4). Using Bruce Tuckman's Phases of Team Development to Help Your Team Grow and Advance: 2021 Update. Available at: https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/team-21.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (n.d.). Intellectual Property (IP). Available at: https://www.scottgraffius.com/intellectual-property.html.
- Graffius, Scott M. (n.d.). Public Speaker. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html.
- Hartline, Devlin (2016, September 26). Criminal Copyright Infringement is Crime of "Moral Turpitude." George Mason University Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy. Available at: https://cip2.gmu.edu/2016/09/26/criminal-copyright-infringement-is-crime-of-moral-turpitude/.
- Huppert, Elizabeth; and Levine, Emma (2023, August 31). The Rise of Dishonest Leaders: Causes and Solutions. Academy of Management Perspectives, 37 (3). DOI: 10.5465/amp.2021.0063.
- IT Certification Council (ITCC) (n.d.). IT Certification Council. Available at: https://itcertcouncil.org. [Note: CertiProf reports that it has “Strategic Alliances” with four organizations: IT Certification Council (ITCC), Agile Alliance, American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and Credly by Pearson.]
- Kenton, Will (2022, August 23). What Is a Whistleblower? Protections, Law, Importance, and Example. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/whistleblower.asp.
- McGregor, Jena. (2017, May 15). More CEOs are Getting Forced Out for Ethical Violations. Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2017/05/15/more-ceos-are-getting-forced-out-for-ethics-violations/.
- National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) (n.d.). About the Center. Available at: https://www.iprcenter.gov/about.
- Popomaronis, Tom (2020, August 20). These 11 Famously Disgraced CEOs Have Entered the Reputation Hall of Shame. Entrepreneur. Available at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/these-11-famously-disgraced-ceos-have-entered-the/354739.
- Rivera, Kristin; and Karlsson, Per-Ola (2017, June 6). CEOs Are Getting Fired for Ethical Lapses More Than They Used To. Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2017/06/ceos-are-getting-fired-for-ethical-lapses-more-than-they-used-to.
- Smith, Isaac H.; Kouchaki, Maryam; and Wareham, Justin (2021, April 14). The Price Leaders Pay for Cutting Ethical Corners. MIT Sloan Management Review. Available at: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-price-leaders-pay-for-cutting-ethical-corners/.
- Steffen, Thomas (2019, May 24). For CEOs, Integrity Is the Best Policy. Yale School of Management. Available at: https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/for-ceos-integrity-is-the-best-policy.
- Sterne, Robert; and Chaplick, Trevor (2005, February). Why Directors Must Take Responsibility for Intellectual Property. Intellectual Asset Management Magazine. Available at: https://www.wsgr.com/PDFSearch/IP_RESPONSIBILTY.pdf.
- Stim, Richard (2024). Patent, Copyright & Trademark: An Intellectual Property Desk Reference (18th Edition). Berkeley, California: Nolo.
- Stubben, Stephen; and Welch Kyle (2018, November 14). Whistleblowers Keep Companies Healthy. Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2018/11/research-whistleblowers-are-a-sign-of-healthy-companies.
- Thomson Reuters (2022, December 16). Copyright Litigation 101. Available at: https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/blog/copyright-litigation-101/.
- United States Copyright Office (USCO) (n.d.). Can I Use Someone Else's Work? Can Someone Else Use Mine? (Excerpt: "In cases of willful infringement for profit, the U.S. Attorney may initiate a criminal investigation.") Available at: https://copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html.
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- United States Department of Homeland Security (US DHS) (n.d.). Intellectual Property Rights. Available at: https://www.dhs.gov/intellectual-property-rights.
- United States Department of Justice (DOJ) (2006, September). Prosecuting Intellectual Property Crimes (Third Edition). Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice. Available at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-J31-PURL-gpo24938/pdf/GOVPUB-J31-PURL-gpo24938.pdf.
- United States Department of Justice (DOJ) (n.d.). Reporting Intellectual Property Crime: A Guide for Victims of Copyright Infringement, Trademark Counterfeiting, and Trade Secret Theft (Third Edition). Available at: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-ccips/file/891011/dl.
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Attributions and Other Notes
Certification/training company CertiProf violated Scott M. Graffius’ intellectual property (IP) rights by misusing his ‘Phases of Team Development’ copyrighted 2018 property. CertiProf did not request nor receive permission to use Graffius’ IP, it used effectively all of Graffius’ respective IP, it used Graffius’ IP word-for-word, it used Graffius’ IP commercially (in its certification/training program, for its financial benefit), and it did not quote or attribute the work to Graffius (thereby falsely leading readers to believe that it was the author and owner of Graffius’ IP). For those reasons, CertiProf clearly violated Graffius’ IP rights. Specifically, CertiProf infringed on Graffius’ copyright; CertiProf’s use was not ‘fair use.’
In accordance with the fair use doctrine, thumbnails of two (out of 89) pages from CertiProf’s 2023 Agile Leader Professional Certification (ALPC) document are used with attribution for purposes of news reporting and critical analysis. Those highly limited excerpts are of the cover page and page 63 (on page 63, CertiProf illegally includes Graffius’ 2018 copyrighted property). Those excerpts provide crucial insight into CertiProf’s violation of Graffius’ IP, allowing readers to better understand the context and implications of the copyright infringement. This approach enhances transparency and facilitates informed public discourse.
CertiProf name, marks, and content — except for what they stole from others — are the property of CertiProf LLC.
Scott M. Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, June 25). A Certification/Training Company Stole Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Used It Word-For-Word: This Scandal is a Big "Dumpster Fire." Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/dumpster-fire.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.20473.89445.
About Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions
Shifting customer needs are common in today's marketplace. Businesses must be adaptive and responsive to change while delivering an exceptional customer experience to be competitive.
There are a variety of frameworks supporting the development of products and services, and most approaches fall into one of two broad categories: traditional or agile. Traditional practices such as waterfall engage sequential development, while agile involves iterative and incremental deliverables. Organizations are increasingly embracing agile to manage projects, and best meet their business needs of rapid response to change, fast delivery speed, and more.
With clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions, Scott M. Graffius's award-winning Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions helps the reader:
- Implement and use the most popular agile framework―Scrum;
- Deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation to change, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement; and
- Support innovation and drive competitive advantage.
Hailed by Literary Titan as “the book highlights the versatility of Scrum beautifully.”
Winner of 17 first place awards.
Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
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- 🇩🇰 Denmark
- 🇫🇮 Finland
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- 🇩🇪 Germany
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About Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change
Thriving in today's marketplace frequently depends on making a transformation to become more agile. Those successful in the transition enjoy faster delivery speed and ROI, higher satisfaction, continuous improvement, and additional benefits.
Based on actual events, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change provides a quick (60-90 minute) read about a successful agile transformation at a multinational entertainment and media company, told from the author's perspective as an agile coach.
The award-winning book by Scott M. Graffius is available in paperback and ebook/Kindle in the United States and around the world. Some links by country follow.
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- 🇦🇹 Austria
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
- 🇫🇮 Finland
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇬🇷 Greece
- 🇮🇳 India
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- 🇺🇸 United States
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