The Intellectual Property Council (IPC) of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) is expanding its initiatives to aid its supplier members in protecting IP and market competitiveness.
At its recent meeting at eBay’s Global IP and Customer Service Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, the council continued development of initiatives aimed directly at helping members combat counterfeiting and other IP violations.
One of its most significant products is its “Directory of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Services and Solutions,” available exclusively to IPC members. The directory’s categories include private investigators, law firms, track and trace solutions, online monitoring technologies, brand protection firms, hologram technologies, packing solutions and many more.
IPC members also are developing the “IPC Case List,” which will enable members to collect and share information about documented seizures and takedowns. The council also is working with several of the world’s largest e-tailers and marketplaces to help aftermarket suppliers navigate the complicated online environment and varying programs e-tailers have launched to help sellers protect their brands.
The IPC has strengthened its partnership with the National IPR Center and Department of Homeland Security. Council representatives recently presented to a group of enforcement agents to help them better understand challenges facing aftermarket suppliers
Enforcement agents representing various government agencies combatting IPR violations and counterfeiting participate in all IPC meetings. The group’s recent meeting included a presentation by a representative of the Department of Homeland Security on using seizure data for IPR strategies.
The IPC’s next meeting is slated for Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the General Motors Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Mich. For more details, visit the IPC website or contact Chris Gardner, AASA vice president, at [email protected].
Subscribe to Aftermarket Business World and receive articles like this every month….absolutely free. Click here.
