Researcher Wins Copyright Suit

In the US, California State University (CSU) has agreed to pay a $15k settlement fee to end a copyright lawsuit filed by sport event marketing research company, Marketing Information Masters Inc. (MIMI).

The case accused San Diego State University (SDSU) and Robert Rauch, Director of the university's Center for Hospitality and Tourism Research, of plagiarizing a report MIMI had previously produced to gauge the impact the university's Holiday Bowl football game had on the City of San Diego. Such economic impact reports are used by the Bowl to campaign for public funds given to tourism-related businesses.

In 2003, the 11-page report was produced at below market rate, with MIMI President Michael Casinelli stipulating that rates would have to increase if further impact studies were required.

However, when MIMI tripled its fee, the Holiday Bowl hired SDSU to conduct the 2004 study, while instructing the school to follow MIMI's previously produced format.

On publication of the study, which virtually copied the 2003 report word-for-word, Casinelli filed the suit. In response to the allegations, the SDSU trustees and Rauch claimed that the eleventh amendment protected them with immunity from copyright infringement suits.

However, last year, District Judge John Houston left Rauch to fight the case alone when he ruled that only SDSU, as a state entity, had sovereign immunity from a copyright suit.

Following further debate, CSU has now agreed to the settlement, in order to end any possibility of an appeal.

Commenting on the results of the case, Casinelli said that the plagiarism 'makes a mockery of what I do for a living', and added that the settlement vindicates his rights.

His firm has recently won the contract to conduct the impact report for the 2011 Super Bowl in Texas.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.