Who is protecting our automotive intellectual property? DIESEL Motorsports USA!

 After NAFTA the China influence came into our business where they copied our US patent performance parts and accessories and then resold them in the US for less. NONE of our patent laws protected our US manufacturers. Blatant copied parts were not only sold to US markets but the big 3 OEMs bought mostly from China. Nothing was done to protect our innovative performance inventors and manufacturers even to this day.

Now the current tariffs are forcing some manufacturing back to the US but is the damage already done? Too little, too late? What about the patent parts that were stolen by overseas manufacturing? Will there be compensation for those original patent holders?

Many of our great performance innovator's products have been ripped off by overseas companies. When the US manufacturers tried to stop them they were faced with huge legal fees and no laws protecting their intellectual property/products.

For many years we were told if you come up with a great product make sure you patent and register the name. Millions of dollars have been collected by our patent office and attorneys following the law. It is all gone now since China not only does not honor our patents but our own courts and laws will not protect US manufacturers.

So when is this great tragedy going to be addressed and corrected??? That is the big question when it comes to automotive! What groups are helping our manufacturers and why would anyone try to come up with something new when it will only get ripped off by somebody sending it overseas?

I know a company of not only did they patent the products but went to the expense of obtaining EPA/CARB EO numbers for their products only to be ripped off by oversea companies. Then their same products were being sold on Ebay without EPA/CARB approval numbers with no inspections. He was told that was another government department and it is not being enforced.

WHY would anyone put extra monies into development right now? Why would manufacturing be brought back to the USA when it will be ripped off again in four years? NO laws protect our automotive manufacturing whether it's OEM or performance! 

"What is good for me is not for thee!" DIESEL Motorsports EPA review!

 Recently the EPA has moved back vehicle regulations to 2009 which helps in production and vehicle costs to the consumers. However, they are written as reconsiderations in order to advance production and costs. NO LAWS have been changed on the books! 

All this talk of going back to the way it was in 2005 is just that - a lot of talk. Granted the number of employees, direction and funding has changed at the EPA - DO NOT be fooled! The raids have let up but there was one in Missouri just last month which went after a diesel shop. So there may be less raids and people coming after our diesel trade, but make no mistake it will return.

Whether the reconsiderations change when congress turns over, new leadership or even a push by the big 3 OEMs they will be searching out the shops who thought all restrictions were lifted. 

Even our military and government vehicles have been approved for DPF/DEF delete so they can perform better and get better mileage. So it's ok for the elite but not the consumer? Where did our industry get turned around and controlled by government watch dogs and bean-counters. Motorsports enthusiasts are no longer running our performance companies, but by corporate attorneys and bean-counters.

Let's look back when the attitude changed toward our motorsports industry? Ever since Henry Ford rolled out the first production car home mechanics were tinkering with it to make it better or their own. That spread to other makes and soon the enthusiasts were racing them against each other all across the country.

The motorsports business has now grown into a multi billion dollar business along with parts and repairs for domestic and import vehicles. After the big 3 OEMs got loans from the government to stay in business it seems the regulations started to increase for the vehicles to make them safer and cleaner. The big 3 OEMs started to offer the performance accessories and parts direct to the consumer edging out the US manufacturers. 

So writing a warning to our diesel enthusiasts, don't be fooled and proceed under the caution flag! 

What we also need to cover is the stolen patent technology!  Many of our US companies paid money to patent our performance parts, but that is another blog. . . coming soon!