Industry News
European Parliament Commitee to vote on design protection liberalisation
20th November 2007
The European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee is shortly to vote on proposed EU design protection liberalisation rules, which would make the rights enjoyed by independent aftermarket suppliers in the UK and 16 other member states apply in 10 others, including Germany and France. The committee’s German rapporteur Klaus-Heiner Lehne has proposed an eight-year transition period to 2016 during which vehicle manufacturers would retain their existing design protection, which is thought likely to win the Committee’s support, but not necessarily that of the Council of Ministers.
The European vehicle manufacturers association ACEA has opposed the liberalisation plans, and proposes a 10-year protection period for the design of visible vehicle body parts. “We think it is completely the wrong signal and essentially tells the Chinese and others to come over to Europe and copy our products," the ACEA legal expert Marc Greven told Automotive News Europe.
Vehicle manufacturers control 88% of the €13 billion annual collision repair parts market in Europe, according to a study for the European Commission by the Paris-based consultants Technopolis, which estimates that car manufacturers could lose up to €2.2 billion euros in annual revenues if the body parts monopoly in those states were it is maintained were abolished.
(www.europeanvoice.com/current/article.asp?id=29306, Automotive News Europe, 19 November 2007)
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