Dear Terry,

The fake IASDR2010 web site is in fact illegal, and it clearly violates the Blogspot Terms of Service and the Google Terms of Service. This is not a viral marketing campaign. Without swift action, this can damage IASDR and create major problems for the organizers of IASDR 2011.

This can hurt the conference in several ways. The fake site diverts possible traffic and potential submissions from the real conference. It can therefore damage outreach and marketing for the real conference. The site lists supposed IASDR keynote speakers that have not been chosen or announced by Delft. The fake selection may therefore weaken interest in the conference among people that do not wish to hear these speakers. The fake site could particularly damage the conference or IASDR if people send papers to the gmail submission address and receive no replies. The damage could be even worse if the contents of their papers were to be misused when they are unaware that they have not in fact submitted them to IASDR.

Because the site is put together plausibly, it may attract people that are neither gullible nor lacking in awareness. There are conferences that run through blog sites, and conferences that use gmail addresses for submissions. Unless you know with certainty that the real conference web site runs through the university, you would not necessarily be aware that this is not the case.

The people whose names have been abused in associating them with a fake web site might have a similar complaint. And then there is the question of confusing very different groups with IASDR -- there are people on the supposed advisory committee that have nothing to do with the IASDR member societies or even with design research. The frauds who built the fake site have apparently taken a random selection of well-known names from different design organization and design conference sites, mixing people from IASDR and DRS indiscriminately with people from groups that do not participate in IASDR such as Cumulus, EAD, and AIGA.

It's silly to propose that anyone connected with IASDR or DRS might have done this. Everyone serving on the boards or committees of IASDR and the IASDR member societies wants to attract people to the actual conference, and therefore to the real conference web site. No one with responsibility to IASDR or DRS would misrepresent the conference this way. 

Because this site falsely represents a legitimate conference hosted by a legitimate university, it is illegal. It also violates the terms of service in several dimensions, one of which being that content must not violate the law. The Technological University of Delft has sole right to the use and representation of its names and activities. IASDR has the sole right to authorize communication in the name of IASDR. Similar questions arise in the misuse of names. A solicitor will be able to clarify further legal problems visible in this web site.

Yours,

Ken

Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS
Professor
Dean

Swinburne Design
Swinburne University of Technology
Melbourne, Australia

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Terry Love wrote:

This is an excellent viral marketing approach to raising attention to and advertising IADSR, the DRS and Holland!

I'm wondering which of us created the website? Or who DRS/IASDR has upset?

As far as I can see the website is not strictly doing anything illegal, nor does it appear to breach Blogger's terms. It's success depends only on the gullibility and lack of awareness of those who use it.