Aug. 11, 2021—The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), established their objection to the Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation (SMART) Act on Monday, according to a press release.
The SMART Act, proposed by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-50), amends title 35, United States Code, to provide for an exception from infringement for certain component parts of motor vehicles.
It would shorten the length of design patents that prevent other companies from producing replacement crash parts from 14 years to just 30 months.
“The small businesses we represent want to perform safe and proper repairs, that allow us to place our customers and their families back into a repaired vehicle with confidence that it will continue to provide the safety they expected from it, prior to their collision. Parts selection is a critical part of a safe and proper repair, and collision repair businesses have simply learned through first-hand experience that reverse engineered imitation parts are not the same as parts made and distributed by the OEM.,” the press release reads.
Proponents, including insurers and the alternative parts industry, suggest that limiting the length of some automaker design patents would allow consumers to benefit from more competition for replacement parts.
This news was first reported by Repairer Driven News.
