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Starting today, the USPTO is kicking off a series of meetings with major automobile manufacturers to discuss intellectual property protection related to the designs of automobiles. The first meeting, hosted by Margaret J.A. Peterlin, the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO, will include representatives from GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, and the Auto Alliance, with future planned meetings to include insurance companies, independent parts manufacturers, and various consumer groups. According to the USPTO announcement (link below), ?the ornamental appearance of vehicle exteriors can be protected by design patents,? and that ?[t]he automotive industry invests millions of dollars creating unique and distinctive designs for motor vehicles, which can easily be copied,? noting further that ?[i]ntellectual property protection is considered an extremely important tool to ensure automakers see a return on their investment.? Additional information on this initiative, including proposed legislation to amend Title 35 of the U.S. Code to create an infringement exception for certain repair parts, is provided within the link below.

USPTO Announcement: LINK

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