Patent Infringement Suit Filed Over Auto Shades

Abraham Levy, the Westlake Village man who holds a patent for the accordion-like cardboard shades that shield auto dashboards, is suing a Phoenix company for allegedly infringing on his patent by selling imitation shades without his approval.

Levy, whose product is called CarCool--The Original Carshade, filed suit in federal court in Phoenix against Oolise International and its principals, Zeev Tchetchik and Molly Weiss. The suit seeks unspecified damages and a court injunction that blocks Oolise from selling the shades in question.

Tchetchik did not return telephone calls requesting comment on the suit, and Weiss could not be reached for comment.

Levy repeatedly has gone to court in recent years to block unauthorized sales of the shades. He estimates that more than 30 million shades have been sold since they became popular in the early 1980s.

He does not actually make the shades, but licenses other companies to produce and market his product. Levy then collects a royalty, typically 10 or 15 cents, on each shade sold.