Auto-Shade Settles Patent Suit, Will Pay Royalties to Inventor

A Van Nuys company that makes folding cardboard shades to keep the sun out of parked cars has settled a patent infringement suit brought by an Israeli inventor who claimed that the company copied his product.

The two sides agreed that Auto-Shade Inc. will pay inventor Abraham Levy undisclosed royalties on future sales. Further details of the settlement were not disclosed. Auto-Shade reported that it sold 1.5 million of the accordion-like shades in 1985 and expects to sell 5 million this year.

The company has moved from its former 1,400-square-foot facility into a 20,000-square-foot plant nearby. The company’s president, Avi Fattal, said the company now has 40 employees.