WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Quality Parts Coalition (QPC) has announced its overwhelming support for bicameral and bipartisan collision repair parts legislation introduced today by U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Members Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and U.S. House Judiciary Committee Members Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). The QPC urges expeditious action on these bills by the Senate and House Judiciary Committees.
The new bills would amend the current U.S. design patent law by lowering the time period car companies can enforce design patents on collision repair parts against alternative suppliers from 14 to 2.5 years. Before the enforcement period ends, alternative suppliers could manufacture, test, market and distribute alternative parts pre-sale without infringing upon the design patents.
Similar legislation was introduced by Issa and Lofgren in the 112th Congress. Enacting this legislation would put the U.S. in line with the United Kingdom, a number of other European countries and Australia, which have already passed similar repair clause laws to benefit consumers.
The PARTS Act is good for consumers, businesses and the U.S. economy. For American drivers already feeling the squeeze from ongoing economic uncertainty, the PARTS Act would help to keep the costs of car repairs down by safeguarding access to affordable, quality alternative parts following collisions. Competition is also good for businesses – it ensures availability as these quality alternative collision repair parts are available to consumers at more than 40,000 collision repair shops nationwide. Finally, competition is good for the U.S. economy – it supports jobs nationwide. The alternative collision repair industry employs tens of thousands of American workers in cities and small towns across the country and has operations and distribution in all 50 states.
“The Quality Parts Coalition applauds the bill sponsors for their leadership on this important consumer issue,” said Daniel Morrissey, interim executive director of the Quality Parts Coalition. “We urge Congress to move forward with these bills to preserve a 60-year tradition of free markets and fair prices in the collision parts industry.”
This week, the QPC will launch a “Write Congress” widget on its website, www.KeepAutoPartsAffordable.og – powered by award-winning e-advocacy company POPVOX – to encourage consumers and industry leaders to tell Congress they support these bills.
ABOUT QPC
The Quality Parts Coalition represents the interests of the independent parts industry, repairers, insurers, consumers and seniors. The goal of the Quality Parts Coalition is to develop and secure a permanent legislative change to U.S. design patent law to protect the consumer’s right to benefit from quality, lower-cost alternative replacement parts and to preserve competition.
For more information, visit www.KeepAutoPartsAffordable.org.
