The so-called Parts Act now in front of a dysfunctional Congress would amend U.S. law to provide an exception from patent infringement by aftermarket firms selling component parts of automobiles, which includes crash parts. This so-called Parts Act would reduce the number of years car companies (original equipment makers or OEMs) can monopolize crash parts design patents from 14 years to 2.5 years.
The parallel Parts Act bills in the House and Senate will face fierce opposition from automakers – as they have before – where automaker lobbying has, arguably, infringed on consumer rights while nullifying the previous bills.
Not in dispute is the amount of money involved. The automotive aftermarket is $200 billion-a-year industry employing at least five million people, but that pales in comparison to the Top Three global automakers, which individually have almost the same revenue.
At the center of the crash parts argument – which is only a sub sector, albeit lucrative, of the aftermarket is the contention that consumers benefit when there is competition in parts replacements, whether it’s cosmetic collision or crash parts or ‘under-the-hood’ parts. Proponents claim that aftermarket replacement parts could potentially save U.S. vehicle owners $1.5 billion annually.
In a perhaps invidious comparison, it is said that the average price of aftermarket parts is 34% lower than the original equipment parts. Beware of such averages. Automakers counter that aftermarket parts do not meet their quality and durability standards.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
