Public Engines, Inc. Announces Permanent Injunction in Settlement With ReportSee, Inc., Operator of SpotCrime.com and MyLocalCrime.com

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Public Engines, Inc. announced today that it has reached an out of court settlement with ReportSee, Inc., operator of SpotCrime.com, MyLocalCrime.com, CrimeBaltimore.com and UCrime.com, that permanently prevents ReportSee from misappropriating data from CrimeReports.com.

The settlement concludes a lawsuit filed by Public Engines in federal court alleging that ReportSee, Inc. knowingly and repeatedly misappropriated proprietary data from the CrimeReports.com website in violation of its terms of use and federal law.

As part of the settlement, ReportSee agreed to pay an undisclosed monetary payment, as well as comply with a permanent court-ordered injunction that prevents them from:

• Misappropriating data from the CrimeReports.com and other Public Engines websites
• Contacting Public Engines' customer agencies to request access to the proprietary data feed
• Misrepresent a law enforcement agency's obligations to share data or raise threats of legal action in association with those false claims

"We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the case," said Greg Whisenant, chief executive officer of Public Engines, Inc. "The settlement ushers in a new era of transparency and accessibility for the general public. It clearly validates our perspective that law enforcement agencies should retain the right to manage and control the data they decide to share."

CrimeReports pioneered the low-cost approach to extracting, standardizing, and mapping crime data, and offers the largest and most comprehensive crime map in the world.

"We work with more than 1,600 law enforcement agencies in the United States to transform the relationship between law enforcement and the public," said Whisenant. "We're exploring additional ways to openly share this expansive data set with non-commercial entities who want to use the data for research and to reduce crime."

About CrimeReports

Working with thousands of law enforcement agencies across North America, CrimeReports is the largest public crime-mapping and citizen tip network in North America. The CrimeReports network offers a family of affordable, easy-to-use software tools for law enforcement agencies to understand crime trends and share up-to-date neighborhood crime data with the public. Community members can access the integrated crime map for free at www.CrimeReports.com, empowering them to make informed decisions to help improve the safety of their neighborhood and community. CrimeReports services are offered by Public Engines, Inc. For more information, visit www.CrimeReports.com.

SOURCE CrimeReports