Counterfeit CD Seizure
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service and Warwickshire Police carried out a joint raid on a stall at a South Warwickshire Car Boot Market in February and seized almost 500 counterfeit CDs.
The CDs contained information claiming to be vehicle service manuals. The CDs were thought to be worth £230,000 had they been genuine versions.
The CDs seized contained information produced by Autodata Limited, a technical information supplier to garages and vehicle repairers. The CDs, labelled as workshop manuals for a number of different car manufacturers, all contained the same software programs which were pirated copies of the Autodata information.
The CDs are described as having information on how to repair and carry out maintenance on a vehicle. In fact they contain very concise technical data which should only be used by a professional technician who has the skills and training to use the information correctly.
Autodata stated that “Although these CDs were being sold as specific vehicle workshop manuals, they would be of little use to the consumer who thought they were purchasing a genuine ‘bumper to bumper’ workshop manual for their own vehicle. The data within these illegal products is out of date and has been copied from software download websites for sale to unsuspecting consumers at these types of market.”
Consumers who have their vehicles repaired using the out of date information from these CDs face the possibility of having costly damage to their engine or even an un-roadworthy vehicle.
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service warns the public not to buy any counterfeit goods including CDs or DVDs. They are not only illegal but you have no way of knowing what you are buying.
Counterfeiting is an illegal activity which undermines UK businesses.Warwickshire Trading Standards Service continues to work with the Police and other agencies to combat the sale of counterfeit and fake goods and safeguard the public. Warwickshire Trading Standards Service will continue to take enforcement action against those found selling counterfeit goods.
If you are concerned that your local car boot is selling counterfeit items or you think you have bought counterfeit goods please call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506, or visit http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.