CompTIA v. TroyTec Settled; Company Pulls CompTIA-Related Products from Site, Denies Wrongdoing
12/19/2001 -- The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) has settled its second lawsuit this year against a test prep company it accused of violating the organization's copyright by allegedly selling study materials containing questions that appear on CompTIA exams.
The organization filed suit against Troy Technologies USA and its owner, Garry L. Neale, in the United States District Court, Western District of Texas on Nov. 28 (The Computing Tech v. Neale 5:01cv1078). The case was settled earlier this month.
CertCities.com was unable to obtain the complete terms of the settlement before press time. We attempted to reach both sides for comment on this story. Neale, who earlier this year dissolved his Troy Technologies USA DBA and formed TestKiller LTD, did not respond to our request for comment, but did release the following statement on the Troytec.com Web site, in which the company denies any wrongdoing:
Troy Technologies USA ("Troy") has recently settled a dispute with The Computing Technology Industry Association, Inc. ("CompTIA") regarding certain study guides that Troy previously sold pertaining to various certification exams offered by CompTIA. Specifically, CompTIA alleged that Troy's study guides for CompTIA's A+ Hardware, A+ Operating Systems, Network+, and I-Net+ certification exams violated CompTIA's copyright and trademark rights, among other rights. Without admitting any wrongdoing and, in the interest of ending the dispute and avoiding controversy, Troy has agreed to cease distributing any study guides directed to CompTIA's exams pursuant to a stipulated court order. Accordingly, Troy will no longer offer any study guides for any of the CompTIA certification exams.
CompTIA was unable to respond to our request for comment by press time, but a spokesperson said that the company should be prepared to make an official statement shortly.
It is unknown whether the names of those who bought the study guides were given to CompTIA as part of the settlement terms. This was a condition of the settlement in CompTIA's suit against Keen Interactive's Cheet-Sheets.com, which was settled earlier this fall (click here for story). CompTIA posted a statement regarding its motives behind this settlement condition on its Web site.
The Cheet-Sheets.com site went down a few weeks after its settlement was reached, and has yet to go back online. CertCities.com has been unable to verify whether the company has gone out of business or if the site is down for other reasons, like technical issues.
CertCities.com will bring you more on this story as it develops. -B.N.
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Current  user Comments for "CompTIA v. TroyTec Settled; Company Pulls CompTIA-Related Products from Site, Denies Wrongdoing "
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| 12/20/01 - Kilo says: |
I have A+, Net+, MCSE 4.0, MCP 2kPro and Server. As a college professor, I have seen about every "study guide" out there including the TroyTecs. TroyTec questions were close or exact to several of the actual questions. But if ANYONE relied just on the Troy questions they would have FAILED the exam. There are enough brain-dumps out there to get a good idea but nothing replaces experience. TroyTecs were over rated. One other comment. What does a list of names of those who bought the TroyTec accomplish. Will CompTIA revoke a cert due to ownership! |
| 12/20/01 - Jim says: |
I have used Troytech on recent exams. They would have been much harder without the Troys, although I have been studying constantly. I kind of feel quilty, expect it is so hard to find the time to study. |
| 12/20/01 - Madog says: |
Troytecs are for cheaters. Passing the test isn't the point-knowing what you're doing is. I'm very glad to see these people, who are facilitating cheating and breaking the NDA, get what they deserve. Too many people get hung up on cert chasing, which only diminishes their value. Now, if M$ would just do something about the people cheating their way through its exams... |
| 12/20/01 - Vin says: |
I have used MS certified training and official approved study guides and passed certs. I have used Troys and passed certs. In either case, my knowledge level has not changed. Any really good employer is going to "test / ask questions" of candidates. Only some inept manager who probably shouldn't have that job to begin with is going to hire someone base on Certs alone. |
| 12/20/01 - Zim says: |
Certification is a game or a drug to some people. To others it is a tool to help keep you sharp. I will use any tool that helps in that respect--to gain knowledge and understanding in that field. Troytechs are a great resource in aiding that knowledge. It is like Cambells soup--so condensed. |
| 12/20/01 - Tom Anonymous says: |
I agree with Kilo. Anyone using TroyTechs alone will not stand a chance of passing most tests, at least MS Active Directory Design and the like. The user is only cheating themselves if this is the only resource they use.Used as a supplement or as a review for other texts and hands-on, they can be of benefit though. |
| 12/20/01 - Trojan says: |
Reply to maddog anonymous Users of the TroyTech, are not necessarily cheaters, I myself have used them in combination with setting up and deploying a large corporate W2000 network & passing the exams. They can be seen as a large crib sheet, which many other Exam cram style books have. Also if your going to make comments about a product you should at least have used them. If you had you would not be making such ludicrous statements. |
| 12/20/01 - Anonymous says: |
Yea, and stop the music downloads while your at it too! You want to get anywhere go get a real degree, BS, BA, MBA, MIS. Don't you think the software companies have made enough money? |
| 12/20/01 - anonymous says: |
whats the difference between troytec and transcender? why isnt comptia going after transcender as well? anyone in the field knows that all of these "study guides" are nothing more than rip off of the exams. why isnt microsoft going after any? |
| 12/20/01 - TestingCenteOwner says: |
If you used TroyTec, you cheated. Period. You knew it. And you did it anyway. You deserve to have your cert yanked! "but it's hard" WA! Unfortuantely, Microsoft won't have the balls to decert y'all as they should. But I'm hoping they make everyone retest. Fail the retest and you're decerted. Bummer. We've been reporting every tester that came into our center to Microsoft that admitted using Troytec for over a year. You've got it coming and I'm gonna sit back and laugh! |
| 12/20/01 - MickeyBlueEyes says: |
Vin Anonymous said it best:"Any really good employer is going to "test/ask questions" of candidates. "Only some inept manager who probably shouldn't have that job to begin with is going to hire someone base on Certs alone". I struggled to get into the IT profession..now with only a A+, Network+, and an MCP under my belt, they have only shown me "What I do not know". On another point..why isn't Transcender in court?..How did TroyTec get the exam questions?...All of these so-called "IT Learning Centers..and on-line subscriptions"....they charge you an Arm & Leg. Experence is "THE" good teacher...having a cert is secondary. For the record-I paid for my Transcenders, and I just got a complete TroyTec study guide from a friend at work. It has everything..all of the guides there. Will I use them?...You Bet!!!....Am I cheating? Depends on your "self-rightousness and morally clean mind"...and also the "uber-geeks" who sneer down at people who want nothing more than a decent job and struggle to learn new things in their life. In the 4 years I have been working in the IT field, I have found it to be a very dog-eat-dog world...with very little team work, and people willing to "show the new guy" a few tricks. Oh..sure there is the one guy who breezed through his MCSE..and still doesn't know how the boot process works-Go Figure!! People..its all about $$$$...these companies have "locked us" into this mindset. Check out the new security cert coming down the road....You take the course and suddenly your a security specialist? I don't think so!! I will use any means to "LEARN" so I can "EARN", but I will not try and BS my way through a job and bring down an entire network due to my technical inability. I would like to see M$, Transcender or any other entity tell corporate America.."We are pulling Joe Smith's cert-you can't have him work in the IT field. All of this is blown out of proportion. Go to school,go to work, and make yourself known, learn about IT and "Know what your doing"...but get a cert too because it does help..at any cost:)) |
| 12/21/01 - geekgirl says: |
I purchased the A+ Troytech, read about 3 pages and tossed it in the garbage as I saw so many errors. I went back to Cert21 testing and aced both the tests. I am concerned that they will see my name on the purchase list and go WOW there is a live one. I knew my stuff. I was mostly curious, I didn't even need it. If I had of depended on Troytech I would have failed. Actually, if I had of depended on Cert21 I would have failed. I wrote them about a TON of errors on their tests. So, because I purchased the blooming thing, now I have to worry over whether or not they will yank my HARD EARNED A+ cert. Whatever, test me again cause I still have it. Test me today, I am ready. |
| 12/21/01 - Greg says: |
I used have tried different study guides including Troytec to aid in my certifications . I feel that if someone relies on them soley to pass exams , they will fail . You need to study your butt off to pass any cert exams . Troytecs notes can be a fairly good tool to help you prepare , but I have found quite a few errors . The difference is knowing the right answers and not just assuming that the information is correct . I have also found that books from Microsoft Press do not cover everything fully enough to prepare you for taking exams . Troytec's notes , used as a tool , can give you some insight as to what areas of information Microsoft will concentrate on a particular exam . You cannot rely on one source of information to fully understand the principles of an operating system ; you must use everything that is available . Not all MCSEs are equal ; some are better than others . The same can be said about college grads . That is why we have a grading system . The bottem line is do you have what it takes to accomplish what is expected of you ? If not , it will eventually catch up with you . |
| 12/21/01 - IT Veteran MCSE,CCNA,MCNE says: |
I did the entire MCSE 2000 using NOTHING but the Troytechs. I passed most of the tests with a 900 or better. I was tired of going to "official" MS training courses and not getting what I needed to pass the tests or do the job. I don't feel a bit of guilt because I had the hard earned experience and knowledge to do the job before I even considered getting MS certified. I knew the products, I just wanted use the Troys to know how to pass the tests. I didn't use Troys for my 15 Novell tests or the Cisco exam ; their courses and tests are straightforward, fair, and apply to real life. Microsoft exams have very little relation to the real world. They are just using them to print money... |
| 12/21/01 - Paco El Taco says: |
CompTIA can try to come after my a*s if they were able to round up names from TroyTec. That shiz should be private and not disclosed. Besides, how can CompTIA prove that I did receive those cheat-sheets anyway? I can just dispute that crap and say I never got nuttin. Peace out, el paco. |
| 12/21/01 - Evil Roy Slade MCSE, MCP+ Internet, A+ says: |
To the testing center owner. It seems you prefer that more people fail exams as that puts more money into your pocket. To bad you didnt let us know your location so we could boycott it. You still have to have the knowledge and skills of the product your testing on, and any means of preperation will help you obtain that knowledge (nothing beats experience). You still cant take the study guide in with you. As for Trancenders test their questions damn near mirror the real ones. They pay a fee to be authorized by the company issuing the test and gouge the consumer paying for the information. My experience with taking classes to pass the exams is that they are over bloated with info you do not need and gloss over the topics that are important to the test. A nice concise study guide with the info you need helps you wade through the things you need and what you dont. I also would like to know if you have passed exams and do you use your own testing center, whos watching you while your taking the exams. |
| 12/21/01 - TestingCenterOwner says: |
Don't really care if you pass of fail - as long as you do it honestly. VUE pays a testing center $5 to deliver a test. This is NOT a money making proposition for the testing center (MS and VUE certainly make money however). I have to pay a proctor $8-10 an hour for the 2-4 hours you are taking the exam. It's a convenience for your students. For the record, I'm also an instructor and consultant with 20 years in the industry and passed all my Microsoft W2K/XP exams on the first attempt (10 so far) within 2-4 weeks of initial release. Same holds for my previous MS tests dating back to NT 3.5 and all the Novell exams prior to that. There weren't braindumps, TroyTecs or cheetsheets when I took the exams. I didn't need them and neither do any of my students. I've passed exams in over 10 different testing centers. If you know the material you pass. Simple as that. The Microsoft Test Prep guides available at the Microsoft site tell you what is expected and it is up to you to put forth the effort to learn what the vendor requires in order to EARN their cert. You don't get the option of complaining about what they want you do know and bitching about how you, in your obvious infinite wisdom, don't think it's relevent, or it's too hard, or how you need the money or the job, or whatever other lame excuse you've conjured up for cheating. I am amazed at the number of people posting such obviously rationalized excuses for cheating. If you're so confident what you've done isn't cheating then let's see the proof. Post your real name and e-mail address and then let's ask Microsoft. Call your boss and let him/her know how you passed the tests. Do you think they'd value your tech skills somewhat differently? Or do you really know they would rightly decert you or fire your ass. You've proven you're willing to cheat on an exam. Perhaps stealing from your company is OK also. There just isn't a grey area here. When you seek out actual test questions prior to the exam it's called cheating. When you seek to learn how the tested processes actually work it's called studying. Cheat, study. Simple concepts. Clear differentiation. If you find that offensive then you are likely part of the problem. |
| 12/21/01 - KJ Anonymous says: |
Simply said by a few, CHEATING is well CHEATING! If you bought, borrowed, or studied from at all anything that gives you the test answers it is CHEATING... Yes, if you are found with any such thing in your possession, you should have your certification taken away from you. Shame on you for not setting a better example for your children. Is it fine for them to cheat their way through school and life? Is there no such thing as self dignity or moral value any more? |
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