Action PlagiariusNegative prize 'Plagiarius' awarded in 2023
On February 3, 2023, the Plagiarius campaign awarded the dreaded 'Plagiarius' negative prize to manufacturers and retailers of particularly brazen counterfeits and fakes for the 47th time.
The third prize goes to the company OBD Diagnostic Tools from Fellbach (Stuttgart region), which sells a plagiarism of the Mercedes-Benz vehicle diagnostics 'Xentry Diagnosis' (for OBD - on-board diagnostics) from the Mercedes-Benz Group, Stuttgart, Germany. Vehicle diagnostic systems (OBD) are used for repair and maintenance. The so-called multiplexer 'SDconnect' serves as the interface between the vehicle OBD socket and the diagnostic computer. The counterfeit was advertised via a website and eBay. The Stuttgart Regional Court issued a civil conviction for infringement of the trademarks 'Mercedes-Benz', the 'Mercedes star' and the trademark 'Xentry', which is protected for diagnostic software; criminal proceedings were also initiated. - Counterfeit vehicle diagnostic systems can not only be misused to deactivate seatbelt reminders or the speed limit, for example, but also usually use outdated software without (safety) updates. Repairs and maintenance are then not carried out using the latest technology and do not offer the highest level of safety. Errors may not be detected and safety problems are possible.