A number of garages in the City of York area have been scrutinised by Trading Standards following reports of illegal use of technical information.
Representatives from Autodata Limited provided the Trading Standards team with support, including a list of workshops it believed to be using unauthorised copies of its software.
The inspections were led by a team of Trading Standards experts from Slough, local to Autodata’s headquarters on behalf of the City of York, under the Primary Authority scheme which allows officials from outside a particular area to support businesses it has partnered with in different areas of the UK.
In the crackdown three garages were found using five different copies of counterfeit Autodata products. Each garage was given a warning and the unlawful, potentially out-of-date software was removed immediately.
“Autodata’s aim to raise the public profile of its garage campaign and the importance of vehicle repair safety has progressed substantially today thanks to their great work.”
Autodata Spokesperson
These inspections are the latest in a long line of actions against unlawful use by businesses servicing and repairing consumers’ vehicles with counterfeit information.
Counterfeit copies contain none of Autodata’s safety assurances or technical support that comes with being a legitimate subscriber. Genuine customers always receive regular updates to the technical information contained in any Autodata product.
A spokesperson for Primary Authority commented: “The operation was very productive. There is now considerably greater road safety in the City of York area, thanks to the operation we carried out.”
Autodata added: “The officers from Primary Authority are to be thanked for their willingness to travel so far from home to lead in these inspections. Autodata’s aim to raise the public profile of its garage campaign and the importance of vehicle repair safety has progressed substantially today thanks to their great work.”
