By SEMA Editors

SEMA members have the opportunity to nominate individuals for the 2014 SEMA Hall of Fame. Nominations are being accepted online.

SEMA is now accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame. Created in 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame is the most prestigious award presented to an individual by the association. As a SEMA member, you have the opportunity to nominate a person for the 2014 SEMA Hall of Fame.

The award is designed to honor outstanding persons in the automotive specialty-equipment industry who have enhanced the stature of, or significantly contributed to, the industry and/or association's growth.

A rule of thumb to qualify could be to ask yourself the following question: “If this person had never existed, how would SEMA and the industry be different?” 

Please take a moment to review the Hall of Fame website and SEMA Hall of Fame criteria and listings of past inductees. In order to assist the Hall of Fame Committee in making their selection, please provide a brief statement, including accomplishments and comments as to why, based on the award criteria, the individual is deserving of this honor. Your completed nomination form is confidential and vital to helping the Hall of Fame Committee make their selection for the 2014 SEMA Hall of Fame. 

Please submit a nomination before the March 21, 2014, deadline.

To learn more about the SEMA Hall of Fame and for a list of inductees, visit www.semahof.com or contact Gina Ledesma at ginal@sema.org, 909-978-6692.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The White House announced progress on a series of initiatives intended to strengthen the patent system, make it easier for small businesses to file applications and combat patent trolls. Among other actions, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is drafting regulations to make recorded patent owner information more transparent to the public.

The agency is training its examiners to more rigorously examine so-called “functional claims” to ensure claims are clear and can be consistently enforced. The USPTO is expanding online toolkits intended to educate and protect consumers and retailers from abuse before they enter into settlement agreements or pursue litigation. The USPTO is working with the U.S. International Trade Commission to refine procedures that would make enforcement of patent exclusion orders more effective. The USPTO will seek assistance from the general public and industry to help patent examiners, holders and applicants find relevant “prior art”—technical information patent examiners need to make a determination of whether an invention is truly novel. The agency will work with the private sector to help train patent examiners, and also expand resources available to inventors and small businesses seeking to file patent applications.  

The White House also urged congress to enact legislation to combat patent trolling. At issue are frivolous lawsuits asserting that a company or individual is infringing a patent. The entity making the assertion is usually seeking licensing fees but not actually manufacturing a product or supplying services. A SEMA-supported bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last December is pending in the Senate. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The White House announced progress on a series of initiatives intended to strengthen the patent system, make it easier for small businesses to file applications and combat patent trolls. Among other actions, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is drafting regulations to make recorded patent owner information more transparent to the public.

The agency is training its examiners to more rigorously examine so-called “functional claims” to ensure claims are clear and can be consistently enforced. The USPTO is expanding online toolkits intended to educate and protect consumers and retailers from abuse before they enter into settlement agreements or pursue litigation. The USPTO is working with the U.S. International Trade Commission to refine procedures that would make enforcement of patent exclusion orders more effective. The USPTO will seek assistance from the general public and industry to help patent examiners, holders and applicants find relevant “prior art”—technical information patent examiners need to make a determination of whether an invention is truly novel. The agency will work with the private sector to help train patent examiners, and also expand resources available to inventors and small businesses seeking to file patent applications.  

The White House also urged congress to enact legislation to combat patent trolling. At issue are frivolous lawsuits asserting that a company or individual is infringing a patent. The entity making the assertion is usually seeking licensing fees but not actually manufacturing a product or supplying services. A SEMA-supported bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last December is pending in the Senate. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The White House announced progress on a series of initiatives intended to strengthen the patent system, make it easier for small businesses to file applications and combat patent trolls. Among other actions, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is drafting regulations to make recorded patent owner information more transparent to the public.

The agency is training its examiners to more rigorously examine so-called “functional claims” to ensure claims are clear and can be consistently enforced. The USPTO is expanding online toolkits intended to educate and protect consumers and retailers from abuse before they enter into settlement agreements or pursue litigation. The USPTO is working with the U.S. International Trade Commission to refine procedures that would make enforcement of patent exclusion orders more effective. The USPTO will seek assistance from the general public and industry to help patent examiners, holders and applicants find relevant “prior art”—technical information patent examiners need to make a determination of whether an invention is truly novel. The agency will work with the private sector to help train patent examiners, and also expand resources available to inventors and small businesses seeking to file patent applications.  

The White House also urged congress to enact legislation to combat patent trolling. At issue are frivolous lawsuits asserting that a company or individual is infringing a patent. The entity making the assertion is usually seeking licensing fees but not actually manufacturing a product or supplying services. A SEMA-supported bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last December is pending in the Senate. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	Under the bill, if the plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it must be present in the vehicle and available upon demand by law enforcement officers.

Legislation to exempt historic military vehicles from the requirement that they display a license plate unless the vehicle was originally manufactured with lighting and mounting provisions for a plate was approved by the full House of Representatives.

The bill will now be sent to Governor Rick Snyder for his signature and enactment into law. Under the bill, if the plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it must be present in the vehicle and available upon demand by law enforcement officers. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	Under the bill, if the plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it must be present in the vehicle and available upon demand by law enforcement officers.

Legislation to exempt historic military vehicles from the requirement that they display a license plate unless the vehicle was originally manufactured with lighting and mounting provisions for a plate was approved by the full House of Representatives.

The bill will now be sent to Governor Rick Snyder for his signature and enactment into law. Under the bill, if the plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it must be present in the vehicle and available upon demand by law enforcement officers. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	Under the bill, if the plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it must be present in the vehicle and available upon demand by law enforcement officers.

Legislation to exempt historic military vehicles from the requirement that they display a license plate unless the vehicle was originally manufactured with lighting and mounting provisions for a plate was approved by the full House of Representatives.

The bill will now be sent to Governor Rick Snyder for his signature and enactment into law. Under the bill, if the plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it must be present in the vehicle and available upon demand by law enforcement officers. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	Under the bill, if the plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it must be present in the vehicle and available upon demand by law enforcement officers.

Legislation to exempt historic military vehicles from the requirement that they display a license plate unless the vehicle was originally manufactured with lighting and mounting provisions for a plate was approved by the full House of Representatives.

The bill will now be sent to Governor Rick Snyder for his signature and enactment into law. Under the bill, if the plate is not attached to the exterior of the historic military vehicle, it must be present in the vehicle and available upon demand by law enforcement officers. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	The full House of Representatives approved legislation to amend Ohio's current law defining historical motor vehicles to permit their use on public roads to and from a location where maintenance is performed.

Legislation to amend the state’s current law defining historical motor vehicles to permit their use on public roads to and from a location where maintenance is performed was approved by the full House of Representatives. The bill was then concurred by the Senate and has now been sent to Governor John Kasich for his signature and enactment into law. 

Under current Ohio law, a “historical motor vehicle" is any motor vehicle that is more than 25 years old and owned solely as a collector's item and for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades and similar uses, but not for general transportation. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

	The full House of Representatives approved legislation to amend Ohio's current law defining historical motor vehicles to permit their use on public roads to and from a location where maintenance is performed.

Legislation to amend the state’s current law defining historical motor vehicles to permit their use on public roads to and from a location where maintenance is performed was approved by the full House of Representatives. The bill was then concurred by the Senate and has now been sent to Governor John Kasich for his signature and enactment into law. 

Under current Ohio law, a “historical motor vehicle" is any motor vehicle that is more than 25 years old and owned solely as a collector's item and for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades and similar uses, but not for general transportation. 

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.