Author Solutions
Copyright Infringement in a Book Published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies: Publisher Fails to Respond or Take Required Action
17 October 2024
BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
Publishers must respond decisively to reports of copyright infringement by swiftly acknowledging complaints, conducting thorough investigations, and taking appropriate actions.
Quiz Question
The visual at the top of this article depicts a quiz related to a real situation. Here's the question:
You discovered blatant copyright infringement in a book published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies. You reported it—with detailed specifics and indisputable evidence—to the publisher. What should happen next (within five business days)?
🔘 A. The publisher replies with, 'Thank you for alerting us about the violation; we’re looking into it.'
🔘 B. The publisher challenges you to a duel to defend their honor.
🔘 C. The publisher does not respond nor take any required action.
Quiz Answer
The question is about what should happen. For that reason, the correct answer is: 'A. The publisher replies with, 'Thank you for alerting us about the violation; we're looking into it.'
When publishers receive a report of copyright infringement, they should promptly acknowledge receipt of the report by responding within no longer than five business days. This action demonstrates transparency, professionalism, and a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the publication. Conversely, not expeditiously acknowledging receipt of the report conveys a lack of transparency, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of commitment to integrity.
Radio Silence by the Publisher
It would be nice if the quiz above was just a hypothetical/thought experiment. Unfortunately, it's related to the real situation where Scott M. Graffius discovered blatant violation of his copyright in a book published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies. Graffius notified the publisher of the violation on 2 October 2024.
As mentioned earlier, publishers should promptly acknowledge receipt of copyright violatioon reports by responding within no longer than five business days. As of the date of this article (17 October 2024), 10 business days have elapsed since the violation was reported. And the publisher maintains radio silence.
Copyright infringement is bad. By not acknowledging receipt of the report, the publisher made the bad situation worse. And the publisher has not yet removed the infringing publication.
It is imperative that the publisher demonstrates—through its actions—a commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and intellectual property rights. The publisher must take immediate and decisive action. Otherwise, the publisher is knowingly endorsing, permitting or otherwise allowing ongoing misinformation and the perpetual violation of Graffius' intellectual property.
Details follow.
If there's an update on this consequential matter after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Details on the Copyright Violation
On 2 October 2024, Scott M. Graffius observed a violation of his copyright in a book published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies. That same day, Graffius wrote to the publisher. His email was titled, 'Your infringing 'Leadership and Management Compendium' 2024 publication violates the 2021 copyright of Scott M. Graffius, damages.' It contained detailed specifics and indisputable evidence. Saved as a PDF, Graffius' email is 12 pages.
Excerpts from Graffius' 12-page email follow. They're shown in blue italic font.
A book published by AuthorHouse—which is part of Author Solutions, which is owned by The Najafi Companies—violates the copyright of Scott M. Graffius. The infringement constitutes a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Here are the specifics on the publication.
Details follow.
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 for each phase.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Graffius initially developed his intellectual property in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it. For reference, an authorized example of his copyrighted property applicable in this case (2021 edition) is here: https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246 . It is shown below as well (in Exhibit 1).
As shown above, Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: “Copyright © 2008-2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.”
Conference organizers, businesses, professional associations, 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:
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property 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-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, many organizations around the world have featured and used his copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ work. Select examples include:
Details on the infringement follow.
The next visual (Exhibit 2) delineates that AuthorHouse is part of Author Solutions, and Author Solutions is owned by The Najafi Companies.
The visual below (Exhibit 3) shows the publisher’s book, Leadership and Management Compendium, on the publisher’s website.
The following visual (Exhibit 4) shows the infringing Leadership and Management Compendium 2024 book violating the 2021 copyright of Graffius. The infringing 2024 book uses Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property. The infringing 2024 book labeled Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted property at “Figure 3.5a.”
Again, Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property includes this: “Copyright © 2008-2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.”
Permission was not requested to use Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property.
Permission was not provided to use Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property.
Nevertheless, the infringing 2024 Leadership and Management Compendium book inappropriately included 2021 Graffius’ copyrighted property.
The infringing Leadership and Management Compendium 2024 book uses the majority (the entire visual) of 2021 Graffius’ protected property.
The infringement involves the commercial use of Graffius’ copyrighted property.
Others, not Graffius, are financial beneficiaries of the infringing Leadership and Management Compendium 2024.
For the aforementioned reasons, the use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor ‘fair dealing’ nor otherwise allowed.
Copyright infringement undermines the hard work and innovation of others and is a disgraceful, unprofessional, dishonest, immoral, unethical, and illegal practice.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.
You must IMMEDIATELY implement the following three (3) actions:
1. Remove the Infringing Book
1 (a). Electronic Versions: Immediately remove the infringing book (in any language or form or format) from all digital platforms where it is advertised, promoted, sold or distributed. This includes removing or disabling any online access to it. Recall/retract any electronic editions of the book sold or otherwise distributed.
1 (b). Physical Copies: If physical copies of the infringing book (in any language or form or format) are in inventory or circulation, stop all further distribution. Recall any copies already sold or otherwise distributed.
2. Issue a Retraction
Publish a formal retraction notice acknowledging the infringement and the steps taken to rectify the situation. The notice will present the facts as they are; the notice will not “spin” or “downplay” the infringement. The notice is to be clearly visible and accessible.
3. Update Databases and Indexes
Notify databases or indexing services about the removal of the infringing book so they can update their records accordingly.
The infringement damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
Graffius reserves all rights in this disturbing, damaging, and consequential matter.
The preceding provided excerpts of key content—not the full transcript—of Graffius' email.
Copyright infringement constitutes a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
It is shocking that the publisher has not yet responded to Graffius' report of the violation. By not acknowledging receipt of the report, the publisher signals a lack of transparency, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of commitment to integrity.
It is imperative that the publisher (AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies) demonstrates through their actions a commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and intellectual property rights. The publisher must take immediate and decisive action.
This troubling and consequential case is open.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Read on to learn:
About the Publisher
The publisher, AuthorHouse, is part of Author Solutions, which is owned by The Najafi Companies.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a global leader in agile project management, an expert on teamwork tradecraft, an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms, a creator, a consultant, a trainer, an award-winning author, and an international public speaker.
See his bio to learn more.
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:
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.
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.
References/Sources
The following is a list of material on publishing standards and procedures. Some cover the reporting and handling of copyright infringement.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, October 17). Copyright Infringement in a Book Published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies: Publisher Fails to Respond or Take Required Action. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/the-najafi-companies.html.
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 6 November 2024
To date, the publisher has failed to remove their infringing publication (or even respond). Accordingly, it knowingly and willfully continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
Any further updates on this consequential matter will appear here.

Content Acknowledgements
This article uses limited excerpts from the publisher (AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies) and the infringing publication, attributed to their respective owners and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Introduction
Publishers must respond decisively to reports of copyright infringement by swiftly acknowledging complaints, conducting thorough investigations, and taking appropriate actions.
Quiz Question
The visual at the top of this article depicts a quiz related to a real situation. Here's the question:
You discovered blatant copyright infringement in a book published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies. You reported it—with detailed specifics and indisputable evidence—to the publisher. What should happen next (within five business days)?
🔘 A. The publisher replies with, 'Thank you for alerting us about the violation; we’re looking into it.'
🔘 B. The publisher challenges you to a duel to defend their honor.
🔘 C. The publisher does not respond nor take any required action.
Quiz Answer
The question is about what should happen. For that reason, the correct answer is: 'A. The publisher replies with, 'Thank you for alerting us about the violation; we're looking into it.'
When publishers receive a report of copyright infringement, they should promptly acknowledge receipt of the report by responding within no longer than five business days. This action demonstrates transparency, professionalism, and a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the publication. Conversely, not expeditiously acknowledging receipt of the report conveys a lack of transparency, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of commitment to integrity.
Radio Silence by the Publisher
It would be nice if the quiz above was just a hypothetical/thought experiment. Unfortunately, it's related to the real situation where Scott M. Graffius discovered blatant violation of his copyright in a book published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies. Graffius notified the publisher of the violation on 2 October 2024.
As mentioned earlier, publishers should promptly acknowledge receipt of copyright violatioon reports by responding within no longer than five business days. As of the date of this article (17 October 2024), 10 business days have elapsed since the violation was reported. And the publisher maintains radio silence.
Copyright infringement is bad. By not acknowledging receipt of the report, the publisher made the bad situation worse. And the publisher has not yet removed the infringing publication.
It is imperative that the publisher demonstrates—through its actions—a commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and intellectual property rights. The publisher must take immediate and decisive action. Otherwise, the publisher is knowingly endorsing, permitting or otherwise allowing ongoing misinformation and the perpetual violation of Graffius' intellectual property.
Details follow.
If there's an update on this consequential matter after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Details on the Copyright Violation
On 2 October 2024, Scott M. Graffius observed a violation of his copyright in a book published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies. That same day, Graffius wrote to the publisher. His email was titled, 'Your infringing 'Leadership and Management Compendium' 2024 publication violates the 2021 copyright of Scott M. Graffius, damages.' It contained detailed specifics and indisputable evidence. Saved as a PDF, Graffius' email is 12 pages.
Excerpts from Graffius' 12-page email follow. They're shown in blue italic font.
A book published by AuthorHouse—which is part of Author Solutions, which is owned by The Najafi Companies—violates the copyright of Scott M. Graffius. The infringement constitutes a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights. Here are the specifics on the publication.
- Infringing Publication: Leadership and Management Compendium
- Publisher of Infringing Publication: AuthorHouse which is part of Author Solutions which is owned by The Najafi Companies
- Author of Infringing Publication: David Obatomi
- Publication Date for Infringing Publication: 4 September 2024
- Product Information for Softcover Format of Infringing Publication: Dimensions 6x9, Page Count 510, ISBN-13 979-8823088893, ASIN B0DG61RVJV
- Product Information for E-book Format of Infringing Publication: ISBN-13 979-8823088909, ASIN: B0DGCYQB9P
Details follow.
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 for each phase.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property is registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Graffius initially developed his intellectual property in 2008, and he periodically refreshes it. For reference, an authorized example of his copyrighted property applicable in this case (2021 edition) is here: https://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22040.42246 . It is shown below as well (in Exhibit 1).
As shown above, Graffius’ copyright ownership details are integrated into and appear on his copyrighted property. Specifically, it reads: “Copyright © 2008-2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.”
Conference organizers, businesses, professional associations, 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.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property 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-2024-2025-v24071607.pdf and https://scottgraffius.com/publicspeaker.html, respectively.
With an authorization/license from Graffius, many organizations around the world have featured and used his copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ work. Select examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Deimos Aerospace,
- DevOps Institute,
- Erste Group Bank AG (Austria),
- FINAT,
- Ford Motor Company,
- FSU College of Medicine,
- Hasso Plattner Institute (Germany),
- IEEE,
- Johns Hopkins University,
- LeadingEng,
- London South Bank University,
- Manufacturers Alliance,
- Microsoft,
- New Zealand Government,
- Oracle,
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians,
- TBS Switzerland,
- Torrens University (Australia),
- Tufts University,
- U.S. National Park Service,
- U.S. Tennis Association,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway (Ireland),
- Victorian Institute of Technology (Australia),
- Virginia Tech,
- Warsaw University,
- Western Sydney University (Australia),
- World Resources Institute,
- Yale University,
- ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences,
- and many others.
Details on the infringement follow.
The next visual (Exhibit 2) delineates that AuthorHouse is part of Author Solutions, and Author Solutions is owned by The Najafi Companies.
The visual below (Exhibit 3) shows the publisher’s book, Leadership and Management Compendium, on the publisher’s website.
The following visual (Exhibit 4) shows the infringing Leadership and Management Compendium 2024 book violating the 2021 copyright of Graffius. The infringing 2024 book uses Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property. The infringing 2024 book labeled Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted property at “Figure 3.5a.”
Again, Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ intellectual property includes this: “Copyright © 2008-2021 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com.”
Permission was not requested to use Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property.
Permission was not provided to use Graffius’ 2021 copyrighted ‘Phases of Team Development’ property.
Nevertheless, the infringing 2024 Leadership and Management Compendium book inappropriately included 2021 Graffius’ copyrighted property.
The infringing Leadership and Management Compendium 2024 book uses the majority (the entire visual) of 2021 Graffius’ protected property.
The infringement involves the commercial use of Graffius’ copyrighted property.
Others, not Graffius, are financial beneficiaries of the infringing Leadership and Management Compendium 2024.
For the aforementioned reasons, the use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not ‘fair use’ nor ‘fair dealing’ nor otherwise allowed.
Copyright infringement undermines the hard work and innovation of others and is a disgraceful, unprofessional, dishonest, immoral, unethical, and illegal practice.
Graffius maintains, enforces, and protects his copyright and other intellectual property rights.
You must IMMEDIATELY implement the following three (3) actions:
1. Remove the Infringing Book
1 (a). Electronic Versions: Immediately remove the infringing book (in any language or form or format) from all digital platforms where it is advertised, promoted, sold or distributed. This includes removing or disabling any online access to it. Recall/retract any electronic editions of the book sold or otherwise distributed.
1 (b). Physical Copies: If physical copies of the infringing book (in any language or form or format) are in inventory or circulation, stop all further distribution. Recall any copies already sold or otherwise distributed.
2. Issue a Retraction
Publish a formal retraction notice acknowledging the infringement and the steps taken to rectify the situation. The notice will present the facts as they are; the notice will not “spin” or “downplay” the infringement. The notice is to be clearly visible and accessible.
3. Update Databases and Indexes
Notify databases or indexing services about the removal of the infringing book so they can update their records accordingly.
The infringement damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.
Graffius reserves all rights in this disturbing, damaging, and consequential matter.
The preceding provided excerpts of key content—not the full transcript—of Graffius' email.
Copyright infringement constitutes a profound and disgraceful breach of professional ethics, moral standards, and Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
It is shocking that the publisher has not yet responded to Graffius' report of the violation. By not acknowledging receipt of the report, the publisher signals a lack of transparency, a lack of professionalism, and a lack of commitment to integrity.
It is imperative that the publisher (AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies) demonstrates through their actions a commitment to upholding the highest standards of ethics and intellectual property rights. The publisher must take immediate and decisive action.
This troubling and consequential case is open.
If there's an update after this article is published, the information will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section.
Read on to learn:
- About the Publisher,
- About Scott M. Graffius,
- References/Sources,
- How to Cite This Article,
- Post-Publication Notes,
- and more.
About the Publisher
The publisher, AuthorHouse, is part of Author Solutions, which is owned by The Najafi Companies.
About Scott M. Graffius
Scott M. Graffius is a global leader in agile project management, an expert on teamwork tradecraft, an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms, a creator, a consultant, a trainer, an award-winning author, and an international public speaker.
See his bio to learn more.
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
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
- 🇫🇮 Finland
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇬🇷 Greece
- 🇭🇺 Hungary
- 🇮🇳 India
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- 🇮🇱 Israel
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- 🇳🇴 Norway
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- 🇦🇪 UAE
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- 🇺🇸 United States
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
References/Sources
The following is a list of material on publishing standards and procedures. Some cover the reporting and handling of copyright infringement.
- Alter, Alexandra (2019, September 22). It’s a Fact: Mistakes are Embarrassing the Publishing Industry. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/22/business/publishing-books-errors.html.
- American Psychological Association (2019, November). Correction Notices. Available at: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/research-publication/correction-notices.
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (2018, November 15). ACM Publications Policy on the Withdrawal, Correction, Retraction, and Removal of Works from ACM Publications and ACM DL. Available at: https://www.acm.org/publications/policies/retraction-policy.
- Cambridge University Press (n.d.). Publishing Ethics. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/flow/information/journal-policies/publishing-ethics.
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (n.d.). Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections. Available at: https://publicationethics.org/postpublication.
- Elsevier (n.d.). Policy and Best practice: Errata & Corrigenda. Available at: https://www.elsevier.com/editor/perk/policy-and-best-practice-errata-and-corrigenda.
- Emerald Publishing (n.d.). Article Withdrawal & Correction. Available at: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/publish-with-us/author-policies/article-withdrawal-correction.
- Faust, Jessica (2007, October 3). Typos and Errors After Publication. Available at: https://bookendsliterary.com/typos-and-errors-after-publication.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2024, March 22). The Protocol for Reporting an Error to an Author or Publisher. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/error-reporting.html. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18830.98883.
- Graffius, Scott M. (2021, November 10). An Error Was Introduced Into the Seventh Edition of 'A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)'. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/pmbok7.html.
- Idunn (n.d.). Publishing and Research Ethics Policy. Available at: https://www.idunn.no/info/publiseringsetikk.
- IEEE (n.d.). Publishing Ethics: Guidelines and Policies: Post-Publication Policies. Available at: https://books.ieeeauthorcenter.ieee.org/book-publishing-at-ieee/publishing-ethics/guidelines-and-policies/post-publication-policies.
- Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) (n.d.). Guidelines for Ethical Behavior in Publishing. Available at: https://pubsonline.informs.org/page/opre/guidelines-for-ethical-behavior-in-publishing.
- IntechOpen (n.d.). Retraction and Correction Policy. Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/page/retraction-and-correction-policy.
- Marasović, Tea; Utrobiĉić, Ana; and Maruŝić, Ana (2018, March 31). Transparency of Retracting and Replacing Articles. The Lancet, 391 (10127): 1244-1245.
- Nature (n.d.). Editorial and Publishing Policies. Available at: https://www.nature.com/srep/journal-policies/editorial-policies.
- O’Reilly Media (n.d.). Errata for Java in a Nutshell. Available at: https://www.oreilly.com/catalog/errata.csp?isbn=0636920030775.
- Palgrave Macmillan (n.d.). Corrections and Retractions. Available at: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/editorial-policies/corrections-and-retractions.
- Pearson Education / InformIT (n.d.). Contact Us: Submit Errata. Available at: https://www.informit.com/about/contact_us/index.aspx?ContactUs_Topics_Partners_id=9d39709c-c911-4c96-ac2c-2c5a22d68ba9.
- Project Management Institute (PMI) (n.d.). PMI Standards Program Comment Form. Available at: https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/pmbok-standards/pmi-standards-program-comment-form.pdf.
- Project Management Institute (PMI) (n.d.). Standards Errata Sheets. Available at: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/errata-sheets.
- Public Library of Science (PLOS) (n.d.). Corrections, Expressions of Concern, and Retractions. Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/corrections-and-retractions.
- SAE International (n.d.). ARINC Standard – Errata Report Template. Available at: https://wcm14.sae.org/site/binaries/content/assets/itc/content/arinc/errata-form.docx [note: selecting the link will download the file].
- Sage Publications (n.d.). Sage Corrections and Retractions Policy. Available at: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/sage-corrections-and-retractions-policy.
- Science Publishing Group (n.d.). Ethical Guidelines. Available at: https://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/information/ethical-guidelines.
- Springer (n.d.). Editorial Policies: Corrections and Retractions. Available at: https://www.springer.com/gp/editorial-policies/corrections-and-retractions.
- Taylor & Francis (n.d.). Publishing Ethics for Journal Editors: FAQs. Available at: https://editorresources.taylorandfrancis.com/publishing-ethics-for-editors/publishing-ethics-faqs.
- Ubiquity Press (n.d.). Correction and Retraction Policy. Available at: https://ubiquitypress.com/site/corrections.
- Warner, Brooke (2019, April 26). How to Publish a Perfect Book. Available at: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/79902-how-to-publish-a-perfect-book.html.
- Wiley (n.d.). Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics. Available at: https://authorservices.wiley.com/ethics-guidelines/index.html.
- Wiley Author Services (n.d.). Wiley's Policy for Handling Retractions, Withdrawals, and Expressions of Concern. Available at: https://authorservices.wiley.com/ethics-guidelines/retractions-and-expressions-of-concern.html.
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (n.d.). Managing Intellectual Property in the Book Publishing Industry. Available at: https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/copyright/868/wipo_pub_868.pdf.
How to Cite This Article
Graffius, Scott M. (2024, October 17). Copyright Infringement in a Book Published by AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies: Publisher Fails to Respond or Take Required Action. Available at: https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/the-najafi-companies.html.
Post-Publication Notes
If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.
Update on 6 November 2024
To date, the publisher has failed to remove their infringing publication (or even respond). Accordingly, it knowingly and willfully continues to spread misinformation and violate Graffius’ intellectual property rights.
Any further updates on this consequential matter will appear here.

Content Acknowledgements
This article uses limited excerpts from the publisher (AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies) and the infringing publication, attributed to their respective owners and used under fair use for news reporting and analysis.
Graffius’ ‘Phases of Team Development’ is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
Special Report on Intellectual Property [Updated Periodically]
02 January 2016
This article is updated periodically. It was last updated on December 20, 2025.
Introduction
Copyrights and other intellectual property rights are strategic assets that create significant value. They safeguard creative works, which fosters innovation and enables creators to benefit from their efforts.
Scott M. Graffius’ intellectual property has been legitimately featured and relied upon by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and others worldwide.
Hundreds of Organizations Around the World Use and Rely Upon Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property
With authorization/license from Graffius, hundreds of businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities around the world have legitimately featured and relied upon his intellectual property. Examples include:
- Adobe,
- American Management Association,
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
- Bayer,
- Boston University,
- Broadcom,
- Cisco,
- Constructor University Germany,
- DevOps Institute,
- Ford Motor Company,
- Hasso Plattner Institute,
- IEEE,
- Microsoft,
- Oracle,
- US National Park Service,
- US Tennis Association,
- UC San Diego,
- UK Sports Institute,
- University of Galway Ireland,
- Yale University,
- and many more.
However, Some Others Engage in Plagiarism, Copyright Infringement, or Additional Bad Acts
Some other entities have engaged in plagiarism, copyright infringement, or additional bad acts. Graffius vigorously enforces and protects his copyrights and other intellectual property rights. These situations demand awareness, transparency, and action—not silence. Accordingly, such entities are listed, with links to detailed facts, to uphold Graffius’ intellectual property rights and deter future violations. Examples of open cases follow.
Auditore, Vanessa
See the entry on this list, Vanessa Auditore Infringed on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
Astrid Frotjold - The University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies, Publisher of Infringing Publication, Failed to Act When Notified of Copyright Infringement
Read AuthorHouse / Author Solutions / The Najafi Companies
Bloomfield, Jacqueline - The University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Boston Scientific Corporation Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read Boston Scientific Corporation
Bournemouth University Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read Bournemouth University
BJSS Company Infringed on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
See the entry on this list, CGI Subsidiary BJSS Infringing on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
Carl Schneider - The University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
CertiProf Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read CertiProf
CGI Subsidiary BJSS Infringing on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
BJSS infringed on Graffius' copyright, and that serious intellectual property matter was unresolved when CGI acquired BJSS on 25 February 2025, so CGI is responsible for BJSS' violation of Graffius' intellectual property. Read Notice to CGI of Infringement of Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property and Damages, and Second Notice to CGI of Infringement of Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property and Related Damages
Christie van Diggele - Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Christopher Roberts - Honorary Professor of Medical Education, The University of Sydney School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Comparative Methodological Guidelines: Handbook for Educators' Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read Comparative Methodological Guidelines: Handbook for Educators
Dame Leadership Infringed on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
Read about Dame Leadership at copyright-infringement-notice-for-dame-leadership.pdf and https://www.ScottGraffius.com/resources/copyright-infringement-notice-for-dame-leadership.pdf
Ethiopian Airlines Infringed on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
Read Notice to Ethiopian Airlines of Infringement of Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property and Damages
Emma Güneş Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property
Read Güneş, Emma (Innovation Showcase - Landed)
Frotjold, Astrid - The University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Güneş, Emma
See the entry on this list, Emma Güneş Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property
Howard, Rosa - The University of Sydney School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Institute of Public Administration (IPA) / The Academy for Developing Administrative Leaders (ADAL) / Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY) / National University of Singapore (NAS) Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Details coming soon.
Jacqueline Bloomfield - The University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Lane, Stuart - The University of Sydney Medical School, Head of Intensive Care Medicine, Sydney Medical School, Australia; Senior Staff Specialist in Intensive Care Medicine, Nepean Hospital, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Luca Netz
See the entry on this list, Luca Schnetzler (aka "Luca Netz"), CEO of Pudgy Penguins, Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Luca Schnetzler (aka "Luca Netz"), CEO of Pudgy Penguins, Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read Schnetzler, Luca
Malone, Robert, W.
See the entry on this list, Robert W. Malone Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
National Health Service (NHS) Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read National Health Service (NHS)
Netz, Lusa
See the entry on this list, Luca Schnetzler (aka "Luca Netz"), CEO of Pudgy Penguins, Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
NHS
See the entry on this list, National Health Service (NHS) Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Oliver Laasch Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Sage Publications Inc. is the publisher of the infringing publication, Principles of Management: Practicing Ethics, Responsibility, Sustainability by Oliver Laasch. More details to follow.
Owners Corporation X Pty Ltd Infringed on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
Read Notice to Owners Corporation X Pty Ltd of Infringement of Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property and Related Damages and Second Notice to Owners Corporation X Pty Ltd of Infringement of Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property and Related Damages
Pennsylvania State Agency Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read Pennsylvania State Agency
Robert W. Malone Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read Malone, Robert W.
Roberts, Christopher - Honorary Professor of Medical Education, The University of Sydney School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Rosa Howard - The University of Sydney School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Schneider, Carl - The University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Schnetzler, Luca
See the entry on this list, Luca Schnetzler (aka "Luca Netz"), CEO of Pudgy Penguins, Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Stuart Lane - The University of Sydney Medical School, Head of Intensive Care Medicine, Sydney Medical School, Australia; Senior Staff Specialist in Intensive Care Medicine, Nepean Hospital, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Sydney University Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Toastmasters Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read Toastmasters
TurningWest Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Read TurningWest
UK Versity Online Limited Infringed on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
Read Notice to UK Versity Online Limited of Infringement of Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property and Damages and Second Notice to UK Versity Online Limited of Infringement of Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property and Related Damages
University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
The offending authors of the infringing publication are:
Jacqueline Bloomfield - The University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia; Christie van Diggele - Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Astrid Frotjold - The University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia; Carl Schneider - The University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia; Rosa Howard - The University of Sydney School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia; Christopher Roberts - Honorary Professor of Medical Education, The University of Sydney School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia; Stuart Lane - The University of Sydney Medical School, Head of Intensive Care Medicine, Sydney Medical School, Australia; Senior Staff Specialist in Intensive Care Medicine, Nepean Hospital.
Read University of Sydney Faculty Commit Egregious Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement – Institutional Whitewash Rejected in Full [Formerly Titled: Notice to European Society of Medicine and Offending Authors: Infringement of Scott M. Graffius’ Intellectual Property and Damages]
And Email 1 from Australian Government Agency — Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)
And Email 2 from Australian Government Agency TEQSA
van Diggele, Christie - Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
See the entry on this list, University of Sydney Faculty Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted Property and Infringed on His Intellectual Property Rights
Vanessa Auditore Infringed on Scott M. Graffius' Intellectual Property Rights
Read Auditore, Vanessa / SuccessHQ.com.au / Success HQ Pty Ltd, copyright-infringement-notice-for-vanessa-auditore.pdf, and https://www.ScottGraffius.com/resources/copyright-infringement-notice-for-vanessa-auditore.pdf
This is not an exhaustive list.
The short link for this article is https://bit.ly/ip-report
Copyright
Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.
Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.
