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Firm Fined $6.3 Million for Software that Defeats Emission Controls
A Florida software company has been ordered to pay $6.3 million in fines and repairs after selling 363,000 aftermarket software kits designed to disable emission control systems.
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A Florida software company has been ordered to pay $6.3 million in fines and repairs after selling 363,000 aftermarket software kits designed to disable emission control systems.
Sanford, Fla.-based Derive Systems Inc. has been marketing the devices under the SCT and Bully Dog brands, according to the U.S. Dept. of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency.
Derive’s $400 “tuner” device retuned a vehicle’s onboard emission control system. It also could clear diagnostic trouble codes caused by disabling or removing the vehicle’s catalytic converter, particular filter exhaust gas recirculation system and other components.
Under terms of a civil settlement, Derive must stop selling the product, pay a $300,000 fine for violating the federal Clean Air Act and spend $6.3 million to track down and update its devices so they can no longer be used to violate federal emission laws.
The company almost has been ordered to train its employees to comply with federal law and to stop coaching customers about how to defeat emission controls.
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