Groups fight counterfeiting

July 1, 2008
Leading international automotive parts supplier associations have issued a statement of cooperation to combat the counterfeiting and intellectual property

Leading international automotive parts supplier associations have issued a statement of cooperation to combat the counterfeiting and intellectual property rights (IPR) violations in the global automotive industry.

Representatives of CLEPA, the European association of automotive suppliers; the Japan Auto Parts Industries Association (JAPIA); and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), which represents North American motor vehicle parts suppliers, recently met to discuss the issue of counterfeiting and IPR.

“Counterfeiting of products worldwide is a multi-billion-dollar cost,” the groups said in a statement. “The incidence of automotive parts counterfeiting is growing and is costing legitimate parts manufacturers billions of dollars annually. Not only is the economic impact significant, but counterfeited low-quality parts are a danger and can cause accidents and deaths.

“As one step in the process of stemming the tide of counterfeit parts and IPR violations, we agree to jointly adopt guidelines for use by trade show organizers to set in place strong rules against counterfeiting and encourage their disciplined, consistent enforcement of rules against counterfeiting. We also plan to work together to approach trade show organizers, law enforcement officials, customers, and customer organizations, sponsors, and the news media to raise the awareness of IPR violations and to seek their support in these efforts.”