Ernie Silvers, CEO/president of SEMA member Egge Machine Co. Inc., has joined the board of the California Small Business Association (CSBA). As a new board member, Silvers will play a vital role in representing the needs of CSBA members and the millions of small businesses throughout California. Established in 1915 and located in Santa Fe Springs, California, Egge is a third-generation family business. Silvers joined the company in August 1995 as sales manager and became Egge’s first non-family member CEO/president in 2005. In addition to his work with CSBA, Silvers has served in various leadership positions with SEMA and is currently a board member on the SEMA Political Action Committee (PAC).

CSBA’s board of directors develop and guide CSBA’s policy positions, annual events and advocacy efforts on behalf of California small business owners. Board members play an integral role in advocating for small businesses before state and federal policy makers. The CSBA Board also helps deliver the annual California Small Business Day event, which honors small-business owners from legislative districts across the state and includes speeches from key elected officials in California. 

For more information, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

Ernie Silvers, CEO/president of SEMA member Egge Machine Co. Inc., has joined the board of the California Small Business Association (CSBA). As a new board member, Silvers will play a vital role in representing the needs of CSBA members and the millions of small businesses throughout California. Established in 1915 and located in Santa Fe Springs, California, Egge is a third-generation family business. Silvers joined the company in August 1995 as sales manager and became Egge’s first non-family member CEO/president in 2005. In addition to his work with CSBA, Silvers has served in various leadership positions with SEMA and is currently a board member on the SEMA Political Action Committee (PAC).

CSBA’s board of directors develop and guide CSBA’s policy positions, annual events and advocacy efforts on behalf of California small business owners. Board members play an integral role in advocating for small businesses before state and federal policy makers. The CSBA Board also helps deliver the annual California Small Business Day event, which honors small-business owners from legislative districts across the state and includes speeches from key elected officials in California. 

For more information, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

A U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee held a hearing on a bill that would allow companies to market collision-repair parts without infringing a design patent once a vehicle has been marketed for two-and-a-half years. Under current law, a design patent covers the ornamental design for an object having practical utility for a 14-year term. 

At issue is the recent practice of many automakers to obtain design patents for individual vehicle parts associated with collision repairs, such as fenders, lamps, hoods, bumpers and grilles. Historically, the auto companies have sought design patents for the car’s overall design rather than individual parts. A design patent allows a company the right to exclude others from copying the product or, alternatively, to license the rights. 

The legislation included a complete design patent exemption for replacement parts when it was first introduced in 2010. The bill sponsors are now proposing a 30-month compromise approach. 

Representatives for the vehicle manufacturers, dealers and auto workers claim that the auto companies invest billions of dollars each year to develop and patent the part designs and are then seeking to protect that investment through rights available under current law.  Representatives for the collision parts market counter that the auto companies are seeking to eliminate competition for “cosmetic replacement parts” that had traditionally not been protected by a design patent, thereby raising consumer repair costs and insurance premiums. 

For additional information about the design patent bill, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org. For general information about protecting intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyright, etc.), visit www.sema.org/IPR. 

A U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee held a hearing on a bill that would allow companies to market collision-repair parts without infringing a design patent once a vehicle has been marketed for two-and-a-half years. Under current law, a design patent covers the ornamental design for an object having practical utility for a 14-year term. 

At issue is the recent practice of many automakers to obtain design patents for individual vehicle parts associated with collision repairs, such as fenders, lamps, hoods, bumpers and grilles. Historically, the auto companies have sought design patents for the car’s overall design rather than individual parts. A design patent allows a company the right to exclude others from copying the product or, alternatively, to license the rights. 

The legislation included a complete design patent exemption for replacement parts when it was first introduced in 2010. The bill sponsors are now proposing a 30-month compromise approach. 

Representatives for the vehicle manufacturers, dealers and auto workers claim that the auto companies invest billions of dollars each year to develop and patent the part designs and are then seeking to protect that investment through rights available under current law.  Representatives for the collision parts market counter that the auto companies are seeking to eliminate competition for “cosmetic replacement parts” that had traditionally not been protected by a design patent, thereby raising consumer repair costs and insurance premiums. 

For additional information about the design patent bill, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org. For general information about protecting intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyright, etc.), visit www.sema.org/IPR. 

A bill to ban the “use and sale of any exhaust pipe that increases the sound emissions of any vehicle including motorcycles” has been assigned for study. The study order authorizes the Joint Transportation Committee to meet during the legislature’s recess to make an investigation of the bill and report to the General Court the results and its recommendations, if any, together with a draft of legislation necessary to carry the recommendations into effect. This action essentially kills activity on this bill for the year. 

An identical bill was introduced in 2009 and was set aside for study without any additional committee consideration. Several other Massachusetts bills have been assigned for similar studies, including a bill to provide for the adjustment of registration fees based on vehicle weight, and one to exempt new vehicles from motor-vehicle emissions inspections for the two years succeeding their manufacture year. 

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

A bill to ban the “use and sale of any exhaust pipe that increases the sound emissions of any vehicle including motorcycles” has been assigned for study. The study order authorizes the Joint Transportation Committee to meet during the legislature’s recess to make an investigation of the bill and report to the General Court the results and its recommendations, if any, together with a draft of legislation necessary to carry the recommendations into effect. This action essentially kills activity on this bill for the year. 

An identical bill was introduced in 2009 and was set aside for study without any additional committee consideration. Several other Massachusetts bills have been assigned for similar studies, including a bill to provide for the adjustment of registration fees based on vehicle weight, and one to exempt new vehicles from motor-vehicle emissions inspections for the two years succeeding their manufacture year. 

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-supported legislation to extend the emissions inspection exemption to vehicles three years old and newer was signed into law by Governor Bev Perdue. Previous law required the inspection of all ’96 and newer vehicles. The new law acknowledges the relatively minimal environmental impact of the newer vehicles targeted for the exemption. The idea behind exempting any class of vehicles is to reduce costs while not losing appreciable emissions reductions. This strategy builds support for emissions-inspection programs but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in cleaning the air.  

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-supported legislation to extend the emissions inspection exemption to vehicles three years old and newer was signed into law by Governor Bev Perdue. Previous law required the inspection of all ’96 and newer vehicles. The new law acknowledges the relatively minimal environmental impact of the newer vehicles targeted for the exemption. The idea behind exempting any class of vehicles is to reduce costs while not losing appreciable emissions reductions. This strategy builds support for emissions-inspection programs but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in cleaning the air.  

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-member Matt Agosta of Steele Rubber Products has been appointed to serve on the North Carolina DMV’s Vehicle Classification Review Committee. The committee was established to include a SEMA representative pursuant to the 2009 enactment into law of SEMA-model legislation creating vehicle registration classifications for street rods, replicas and custom vehicles. 

The law relieves vehicle owners of unfair title branding and inspection concerns, allows for the use of non-original materials, creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns replica vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle intended to be replicated and requires that the title of a replica vehicle clearly indicates that the vehicle is a replica and not an original. The committee reviews grievances filed by vehicle owners regarding the DMV’s determination of the appropriate vehicle classification for a specially constructed vehicle. 

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-member Matt Agosta of Steele Rubber Products has been appointed to serve on the North Carolina DMV’s Vehicle Classification Review Committee. The committee was established to include a SEMA representative pursuant to the 2009 enactment into law of SEMA-model legislation creating vehicle registration classifications for street rods, replicas and custom vehicles. 

The law relieves vehicle owners of unfair title branding and inspection concerns, allows for the use of non-original materials, creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns replica vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle intended to be replicated and requires that the title of a replica vehicle clearly indicates that the vehicle is a replica and not an original. The committee reviews grievances filed by vehicle owners regarding the DMV’s determination of the appropriate vehicle classification for a specially constructed vehicle. 

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.