CAWA, AAIA, and Quality Parts Coalition
Meet with Congressman Lungren

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             Contact:  Jennifer Zins, Government Affairs Dir.                                                                             Phone:   916-871-0603

Industry Unites to Advocate for Permanent Legislative Change to U.S. Design Patent Law

SACRAMENTO, California -  The California/Nevada/Arizona Automotive Wholesalers' Association (CAWA), the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and the Quality Parts Coalition (QPC) held a private meeting with Congressman Dan Lungren (R-03) to advocate for a permanent legislative change to the U.S. design patent law to preserve competition and protect the consumers right to benefit from quality, lower-cost alternative replacement collision parts. 

Held at the CAWA headquarters office in Rancho Cordova, CAWA members, the Executive Director of the Quality Parts Coalition Eileen Sottile and the CAWA Legislative team met with Congressman Lungren to educate him about the need to amend the federal patent law to provide an exception from design patent infringement for alternative repair parts used for the purpose of repairing a vehicle to its original appearance.

In the past several years, a significant increase in the number of 14-year design patents on exterior automobile crash parts obtained by the car companies has occurred.  Furthermore an International Trade Commission (ITC) decision recently held that automakers could assert patents on purely ornamental and cosmetic features of exterior vehicle parts to prevent the manufacture or importation of repair parts, such as bumpers.  Research shows that the number of design patents held by the car companies has more than doubled since 2005, growing to about 20 to 25 percent of the total U.S. patents awarded to those manufacturers and that trend is expected to continue to rise.

"Legislation is needed in Congress to ensure that consumers are protected from high costs of automotive repair and that all consumers have access to quality and affordable automotive parts for their vehicles by securing a permanent legislative solution to the design patent law," stated Rodney Pierini, CAWA President & CEO.

CAWA and AAIA are members of the Quality Parts Coalition established to protect consumer choice in replacement collision auto parts and representing a consortium of independent parts and insurance companies committed to preserving and protecting the benefits of a competitive marketplace when repairing damaged vehicles.  The QPC represents the interests of the independent parts industry, the repair industry the insurance industry, seniors and consumers and includes organizations like the Coalition for Auto Repair, Equality (CARE), Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety, Center for Auto Safety, Consumer Federation of America, and the American Insurance Association to name a few.

Founded in 1955, CAWA is a nonprofit trade organization representing automotive jobbers, warehouse distributors, retailers, manufacturers and manufacturer representatives in California, Nevada and Arizona. CAWA's mission is to provide communications, education, legislative and regulatory advocacy and group purchasing of services for its members while promoting the automotive aftermarket industry.

For additional information about CAWA and for the latest industry news, go to www.cawa.org.