WASHINGTON, D.C. — The MEMA Brand Protection Council is embarking on a new phase in its development. In January 2011, the council will be reorganized as the MEMA Brand Protection Committee (BPC) and will be managed from MEMA’s Washington, D.C., office.
Committee membership will be free to all member companies of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) and the Motor & Equipment Remanufacturers Association (MERA), MEMA’s newest association.
The association says this move will enable the committee to reach to a broader cross section of MEMA affiliate members – AASA, HDMA, OESA and MERA – and will be able to engage more members on the critical industry issues of counterfeiting and intellectual property rights violations. From its new home base in the nation’s capital, the BPC will gain a sharper focus on legislative and regulatory solutions and will benefit from closer contacts with federal and international government and law enforcement officials at the National IPR Coordination Center in Washington.
The new committee will meet twice a year, and next year’s meeting schedule is currently in development. The BPC may also meet on an ad hoc basis as issues arise.
Plans also are underway for a new annual brand protection and IPR conference. This event will provide all association members with the opportunity for face-to-face discussions with industry peers, government officials and law enforcement representatives. Attendees will benefit from presentations by leading subject-matter experts and updates on pending legislative and regulatory items.
The new MEMA Brand Protection Committee will be managed by Catherine Boland in the Washington office.
