ELK GROVE, Calif., April 18, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ALLDATA LLC, the leading provider of manufacturers' automotive repair information and solutions for the professional automotive service and collision repair industries, announced the successful arrest and prosecution of a software counterfeiting operation. The company has a long-standing program dedicated to tracking down illegal sales of ALLDATA products, an effort which routinely results in prosecution.

In the most recent case, William Edwin White, III, was arrested in December 2012, following a five-month investigation by the Stanislaus County Sheriff Department and Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. The two law enforcement agencies worked with the ALLDATA Antipiracy team to investigate the illegally copied ALLDATA products that White had advertised for sale.

"We aggressively pursue software piracy," said ALLDATA President Jeff Lagges. "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 licenses vehicle repair, diagnostic and maintenance information directly from manufacturers and provides it to customers through a secure, Web-based portal. "Manufacturers often add, remove and change information," said Lagges. "Offering our products through online subscriptions allows us to get changes to our customers quickly. So buying counterfeit ALLDATA products not only wastes money, it's a risky business that we're working hard to stop."

Following the investigation and December arrest, White was found guilty, sentenced and ordered to pay restitution to ALLDATA.

About ALLDATA

ALLDATA was founded in 1986 and today has more than 80,000 clients (car repair shops and bodywork shops) throughout the North America. The company is one of the leading providers of original service and repair information, car repair shop management software, and customer relationship management applications for the automotive industry. When it comes to repair information, car repair shops throughout North America trust ALLDATA. More information at www.ALLDATA.com.

About AutoZone

As of February 9, 2013, AutoZone sells auto and light truck parts, chemicals and accessories through 4,735 AutoZone stores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in the U.S., 334 stores in Mexico and one store in Brazil for a total store count of 5,070.

AutoZone is the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. Each store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Many stores also have a commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations, and public sector accounts. AutoZone also sells the ALLDATA brand diagnostic and repair software through www.alldata.com. Additionally, we sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, non-automotive products and subscriptions to the ALLDATAdiy product through www.autozone.com, and our commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com.  AutoZone does not derive revenue from automotive repair or installation.

CONTACT: ALLDATA Press Contact
         Colleen Harrison
         Colleen.harrison@alldata.com
         918-478-3332
         
         AutoZone Contacts
         Media: Ray Pohlman at 866-966-3017
         ray.pohlman@autozone.com
         Fax: 916-684-6933
         press.relations@alldata.com
         Financial: Brian Campbell at 901-495-7005
         brian.campbell@autozone.com