Our Executive Vice President Mahesh Sundaram was a featured presenter to the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association’s Intellectual Property Council during the association’s annual Vision Conference held in Chicago. We’re pleased to have been invited and applaud the efforts of the council.

Anti-counterfeiting is one of the top three priorities for AASA, and its Intellectual Property Council has been leading the way on the effort. In recent years council members have been actively advocating for counterfeit product controls by maintaining an active dialogue with government entities and participating in training sessions for enforcement agencies.

The increasing flow of fake aftermarket goods into markets around the world is a significant issue, according the AASA council members, that must be addressed effectively and soon. The likelihood of the automotive sector to be impacted by counterfeiting rose from 2011-2013 by 198%, according to the most recent report from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.¹ Counterfeit automotive products in many cases can cause safety issues and loss of taxes needed for governments to keep infrastructure in shape, in addition to the loss of revenue for manufacturers.

¹OECD/EUIPO (2016), Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact, OECD Publishing, Paris.