April 23, 2013—ALLDATA recently announced the arrest and prosecution of a software counterfeiting operation that illegally sold copies of the company's products.
William Edwin White III pleaded no contest to selling illegally copied counterfeit ALLDATA products.
White was arrested in December 2012 following a five-month investigation by the Stanislaus County Sheriff Department, Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force and ALLDATA antipiracy team.
White has been found guilty and was ordered to pay restitution to ALLDATA.
“We aggressively pursue software piracy,” said Jeff Lagges, president of ALLDATA. “It’s theft, and it hurts our customers by driving up costs. But it’s not the same as downloading a pirated song—it’s potentially a consumer safety issue because counterfeiters don’t care if the information is correct. We do care, because incorrect information should never be used to repair vehicles. People who don’t realize they bought pirated software often call us to complain that the product isn’t working correctly, which is why it’s so important to purchase ALLDATA Repair through our sales team or our company website.”
ALLDATA provides licensed vehicle repair, diagnostic and maintenance information from auto manufacturers directly to customers through a secure, web-based portal.