The Quality Parts Coalition (QPC) and the Florida Automotive Industry
Association (FAIA) met with Florida state legislators to discuss
aftermarket parts in the collision industry, urging state legislators
to take their message to the federal level.

FAIA and QPC maintain that allowing the car companies to enforce their
design patents in the secondary market would allow the car companies a
monopoly on parts, which will potentially cost America tens of
thousands of jobs and American consumers over $1.5 billion per year. In
Florida alone, groups represented by FAIA include more than 24,000
independent businesses that employ more than 150,000 employees.

The QPC believes that without permanent legislation and the
implementation of a repair clause within U.S. patent law, the current
and rising trend of automaker design patents on collision replacement
parts could eliminate the entire alternative replacement parts industry.

Other topics on the agenda for the meetings included support for the
Motor Vehicles Owners Right to Repair Act, legislation that would
reinstate annual statewide motor vehicle safety inspections and
legislation that would improve health care access and lower costs. The
groups also raised concerns with the proposed Clean Car standards in
Florida.

For more information, visit www.faia.org and www.qualitypartscoalition.com.