ASA opposed PARTS Act

Jan. 1, 2020
ASA joined a coalition in sending a letter to House members, asking that they oppose H.R. 1663.
U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) in the U.S. Senate, recently introduced legislation titled the “Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade and Sales Act of 2013.’’ Known as ‘‘PARTS Act,’’ this legislation provides for an exception from infringing U.S. design patents for certain component parts of motor vehicles. The bill would amend the U.S. design patent law to change the period of design patent protection for automakers from 14 years to 30 months.

The Congressional Research Service reports that the bill makes it not an act of infringement with respect to a design patent to: 1) make, test or offer to sell within the U.S., or import into the U.S., any article of manufacture that is similar or the same in appearance to the component part claimed in such design patent if the purpose of such article is for the repair of a motor vehicle to restore its appearance to as originally manufactured; and 2) use or sell within the U.S. any such same or similar articles for such restorations more than 30 months after the claimed component part is first offered for public sale as part of a motor vehicle in any country.

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) asked members of Congress to oppose similar legislation in the previous congresses in which the bill was introduced. ASA joined a coalition of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), new car dealers, labor unions and other trade associations in sending a letter to Reps. Howard Coble (R-N.C.), chairman, and Mel Watt (D-N.C.) ranking member, of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet, asking that they oppose H.R. 1663.

The letter outlined the following concerns:

“Manufacturers of unlicensed automobile parts have to meet only one basic threshold, to produce a copy that passes off as an original part. Those who produce such parts incur no costs attributable to original design, research and development and most importantly, product safety testing. Accordingly, the manufacturer of the original product for whom such unlicensed replacement parts are made does not know how these parts will perform with the rest of the vehicle and how their use will impact the quality and integrity of the original product. Automotive collision repairers are very concerned about the quality of replacement crash parts. Permitting this intellectual property infringement also exposes consumers to significant safety, performance or durability risks without their knowledge.”

To view the full text of this legislation, along with the letter sent to Coble and Watt, visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingTheHill.com.

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. ASA serves an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from both the mechanical and collision repair segments of the automotive service industry.

ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. For additional information about ASA, including past news releases, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingTheHill.com.

Subscribe to ABRN and receive articles like this every month….absolutely free. Click here.

Sponsored Recommendations

ZEUS+: The Cutting-Edge Diagnostic Solution for Smart, Fast, and Efficient Auto Repairs

The new ZEUS+ simplifies your diagnostic process and guides you through the right repair, avoiding unnecessary steps along the way. It gives you the software coverage, processing...

Diagnostic Pre- and Post-scan Reports are Solid Gold for Profitability

The following article highlights the significance of pre-scans and post-scans, particularly with Snap-on scan tools, showcasing their efficiency in diagnosing issues and preventing...

Unlock Precision and Certainty: TRITON-D10 Webinar Training for Advanced Vehicle Diagnostics

The TRITON-D10 lets you dig deep into the systems of a vehicle and evaluate performance with comparative data, systematically eliminating the unnecessary to provide you with only...

APOLLO-D9: Trustworthy Diagnostics for Precision Repairs

The APOLLO-D9 provides the diagnostic information and resources you need to get the job done. No more hunting through forums or endlessly searching to find the right answers. ...

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Vehicle Service Pros, create an account today!