Skillstrain
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Skillstrain, a trading name for Metropolitan International Schools Limited, is a distance learning company specialising in IT training. It is notable for its role in a British legal case regarding the Internet.
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[edit] Organisation
Skillstrain is a distance learning company specialising in IT training. The company is based in Luton in the UK.
[edit] Controversies
In 2006 Skillstrain, then trading as Scheidegger, was investigated by the BBC. Reporter Nick Lawrence posed as a potential student and was visited by a sales representative. He was told the course certificate was required by companies and that Scheiddeggar was endorsed by Manpower and Elan IT. The BBC reported that it contacted both companies and was informed that the endorsements were false.[1] The report adds, "Multimedia Computer Training Ltd say that they don't believe such false representations were made - if they were, then disciplinary procedures will be taken against the salesperson."
In October 2008 the BBC TV series Watchdog investigated Skillstrain and claimed that the company had falsified supposed endorsements by Microsoft and Cisco.[2]
In 2009, Metropolitan International Schools Ltd sought to pursue a defamation claim against Google and Design Technica Corporation (trading as Digital Trends). The claim arose from allegedly defamatory remarks made about Scheidegger, Train2Game and SkillsTrain, three trading names of Metropolitan International Schools.[3] The court found that Google, as the operator of a search engine, was not a publisher of material and therefore could not be liable for content that may have been defamatory.[4]. The article says, "Furthermore, given the particular nature of a search engine, even when the search engine had been notified or informed of the defamatory content of a snippet, it was not possible to fix it with liability on the basis of authorisation, approval or acquiescence of the words complained of."
The original legal case resolved the question of Google's liability. However, it did not address the issue of defamatory materialin the bulletin board posts. In 2010, Skillstrain (and a related company, Train2Game) were awarded damages in a libel case taken against the website Digital Trends, which had published false claims that Skillstrain was involved in scams against students. The court awarded the companies £50,000 in damages.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ BBC investigated Scheidegger http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/london/series10/week2/index.shtml
- ^ BBC Watchdog investigation 2008 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2008/10/the_skills_training_thats_off.html
- ^ "METROPOLITAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS LIMITED (T/A SKILLSTRAIN and/or TRAIN2GAME) and (1) DESIGNTECHNICA CORPORATION (T/A DIGITAL TRENDS) (2) GOOGLE UK LIMITED (3) GOOGLE LTD". [2009] EWHC 1765 (QB). 16 July 2009. http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2009/1765.html. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ "Google not liable for defamatory search snippets". Times online. 3 August 2009. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/reports/article6736545.ece. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
- ^ Metropolitan International Schools Ltd (t/a Skillstrain and/or Train2game) v Designtechnica Corporation (t/a Digital Trends) & Ors [2010] EWHC 2411 (QB) (01 October 2010)
[edit] External links
- Company website
- Transcript of July 2009 decision of the England and Wales High Court
- Transcript of the 2010 decision of the England and Wales High Court
