Gates Corp. to Testify at June 17 Judiciary Committee Hearing on Intellectual Property

Jeffrey Thurnau, patent counsel with Gates Corp. will testify on Tuesday, June 17, before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing entitled “Protecting Consumers by Protecting Intellectual Property.” The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Thurnau will testify on behalf of Gates Corp. and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). MEMA represents more than 700 motor vehicle product manufacturers with nearly 12,000 U.S. plant locations and 783,100 U.S. workers and contributes to 4.5 million private industry jobs across the country.Thurnau will address the need for strong intellectual property protections to assure the safety and well being of U.S. auto parts consumers as well as the importance of Intellectual Property to Gates and the U.S. motor vehicle parts supplier industry.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jeffrey Thurnau, patent counsel with Gates Corp. will testify on Tuesday, June 17, before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing entitled “Protecting Consumers by Protecting Intellectual Property.” The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Thurnau will testify on behalf of Gates Corp. and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). MEMA represents more than 700 motor vehicle product manufacturers with nearly 12,000 U.S. plant locations and 783,100 U.S. workers and contributes to 4.5 million private industry jobs across the country. Together, these suppliers manufacture the parts and technology used in the domestic production of more than 11 million new cars and trucks produced each year, and the aftermarket products necessary to repair and maintain more than 247 million vehicles on the road today. MEMA supports its members through its three market segment associations, Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA) and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA).

Thurnau will address the need for strong intellectual property protections to assure the safety and well being of U.S. auto parts consumers as well as the importance of Intellectual Property to Gates and the U.S. motor vehicle parts supplier industry. He will outline the problem by raising specific issues including trademark and brand infringement, and will offer possible legislative solutions.