On August 14, 2019, ABPA Executive Director Ed Salamy and ABPA Chairman Chris Northup along with Consumer Federation of America (CFA) Executive Director Jack Gillis were invited back to FTC headquarters in Washington, DC as a follow up to the “Nixing the Fix” workshop held in July. During this meeting, ABPA and CFA were given the opportunity Read more…
The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) is continuing its efforts to challenge the validity and enforceability of design patents directed toward automotive body repair parts. On July 23, 2019, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit published an opinion addressing the issues of functionality and patent exhaustion, which are part of ABPA’s legal case based on Read more…
Staff of the Federal Trade Commission hosted a workshop on July 16, 2019 to examine ways in which manufacturers may limit third-party repairs and is seeking research focused on such limitations. Nixing the Fix: A Workshop on Repair Restrictions focused on how manufacturers may limit repairs by consumers and repair shops and whether those limitations affect consumer Read more…
On January 8, 2019, the original case filed by the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) against Ford Global Technologies LLC (FGTL) was argued before the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. The issues on appeal are functionality and patent exhaustion, which have the potential of invalidating and rendering unenforceable FGTL design patents on automotive body Read more…
The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) is pleased to announce that it has made significant progress in its ability to challenge on appeal the validity and enforceability of design patents related to automotive body repair parts. During the week of November 13, 2018, ABPA representative New World International went to trial against Ford Global Technologies, LLC after Read more…
Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Hearing Will Explore Effects of Tariffs on Customers, Local Communities and Industry as a Whole WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) announced that the Finance Committee will convene a hearing on the impact of tariffs on the U.S. automotive industry. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, Sept. Read more…
The ABPA is your voice and industry advocacy group that fights against issues that affect your business. These issues range from design patents, trademarks, and border taxes. As an ABPA member, your support is needed to help fund the design patent lawsuit vs Ford Global Technologies that is currently underway. It is a drawn-out battle and all Read more…
Smithfield, RI – The Automotive Body Part Association (ABPA) voiced our opposition to the proposed Section 232 automotive tariffs at a July 19, 2018 hearing at the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC. Representing the ABPA at the hearing was Chairman Christopher Northup of Professional Parts Group. “Parts and related services are the fuel that keeps the Read more…
The ABPA would like to first express our respect for the administration’s intentions to protect US industries, their employees and our homeland security in an ever-expanding world economy. However, we oppose all tariffs targeting the automotive industry and specifically imported auto parts because ultimately, they severely diminish free enterprise and competition establishing undesirable domestic monopolies that would Read more…
