As CollisionWeek reported yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition by the Automotive Body Part Association (ABPA) to review a lower court ruling against the association in its design patent lawsuit against Ford. The ABPA released a statement in response to the ruling. According to the ABPA, “On March 9, 2020, the United States […]
U.S. Supreme Court Denies ABPA Petition to Hear Ford Collision Repair Part Design Patent Appeal
The denial leaves in place lower court finding Ford’s design patents for the F-150 are valid and enforceable. The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday denied a petition by the Automotive Body Parts Association to hear its appeal of lower court rulings that found design patents covering a hood and headlamp for the Ford F-150 were valid […]
Extradited Former Automotive Parts Executive Pleads Guilty to Antitrust Charge
Fugitive for nearly five years, leads guilty to antitrust conspiracy to raise prices of instrument clusters. Eun Soo Kim, a former key accounts manager for Continental Automotive Korea Ltd. and a Korean national, was extradited from Germany and pleaded guilty for his role in an international market allocation and bid-rigging conspiracy involving the sale of […]
AirPro Diagnostics Responds to Ford Lawsuit
Assures customers lawsuit will have no effect on services. AirPro Diagnostics released a statement in response to lawsuit filed by Ford Motor Company February 27 that CollisionWeek reported on Friday. According to the company: In response to the recent allegations by Ford Motor Company, AirPro Diagnostics wants to assure our valued customers and the industry […]
Ford Files Lawsuit Against AirPro Diagnostics
Vehicle manufacturer alleges that remote diagnostic provider violated its trademarks and license agreements by providing remote diagnostic services using Ford software. Ford Motor Company and its Ford Global Technologies, LLC (FGTL) subsidiary filed a federal lawsuit against AirPro Diagnostics alleging the remote diagnostic service provider is infringing Ford’s trademarks and licensing agreements and is committing […]
California Collision Repair Shops Charged with Felony Insurance Fraud
Department of Insurance and Contra Costa District Attorney’s office undercover sting results in eight felony charges against four individuals. To crack down on automobile insurance fraud, the California Department of Insurance, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) conducted an undercover sting operation targeting collision repair facilities across Contra […]
North Carolina Attorney General Secures $68,000 Judgment Against Two Charlotte Collision Repair Shops
Judge also bans owner from operating an auto repair business for three years over deceptive trade practices and Motor Vehicle Act violations. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced Wednesday that his office secured a $68,564.35 consent judgment against the owners of two collision repair facilities in Charlotte, N.C. A judge found Sterling Leonard Gabriel, […]
GEICO Files Federal RICO Lawsuit in California Alleging Glass Shop Fraudulently Inflated Claims
Insurer seeks to recover over $150,000 in alleged fraudulent billing and declaration it doesn’t owe over $50,000 in outstanding claims. Following similar lawsuits in Arizona and Florida, GEICO has filed a federal lawsuit in California alleging an auto glass repair facility submitted fraudulent glass repair bills. GEICO seeks to recover damages alleging violations of the […]
Auto Body Parts Association to Appeal Ford Design Patent Lawsuit to U.S. Supreme Court
The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) said it is continuing its efforts to challenge the validity and enforceability of design patents directed toward automotive body repair parts. In July 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit published its public opinion rejecting arguments by the ABPA that design patents covering a hood and […]
Appeals Court Affirms Dismissal of Collision Repair Shop Racketeering Lawsuit Against Insurance Industry
The Appeals Court for the Eleventh Circuit finds lower court dismissal of 2014 class action lawsuit alleging insurers use DRP programs to illegally control non-DRP facilities’ rates was valid. An appeal by the collision repair shop plaintiffs’ appeal to overturn the dismissal of a Federal lawsuit against auto insurance companies failed in late December to […]