According to the bill, “Existing law prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle with any object or material placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied upon the windshield or side or rear windows, with limited exceptions, including for window tinting or glazing that meets specified requirements.”

The new legislation, which goes into effect January 1, 2013, changes that prohibition for peace officers to prevent the current issue of ticketing. Under the previous regulation, undercover officers were frequently stopped and ticketed by peace officers for tinting violations.

“This bill would exempt a vehicle operated and owned or leased by a federal, state, or local agency, department, or district that employs peace officers, for use by those peace officers in the performance of their duties, from California law prohibiting or limiting materials that may be placed, displayed, installed, affixed, or applied to the side or rear windows, commonly referred to as window tinting or glazing,” states the legislation.

“Governor Jerry Brown just signed my AB 2660, a law that allows police and sheriffs’ departments to tint the front side windows of their undercover vehicles. With this simple change in the law, undercover peace officers who use vehicles with tinting to blend in to the neighborhoods they try to protect, will no longer be susceptible to getting a ticket for tinted windows,” says California assemblyman Jose Solorio. “At the public hearing to air the merits of this bill, numerous examples and copies of tickets issued to police officers by police officers were provided by law enforcement to illuminate the necessity for the bill. With AB 2660 now law, police departments will no longer have to spend time and money going to the prosecutor or the court to get  traffic tickets dismissed or pay fines. Undoing those tickets wasted critical and limited public safety resources on a technicality that could easily be avoided. I was happy to sponsor the bill.”

The amendment passed the assembly on April 26 with a vote of 75-0 and then passed the senate unanimously as well, on July 6. It was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on July 24.

by Casey Neeley, assistant editor, cneeley@glass.com

Registration is available online at www.windowfilmmag.com/iwfc or call the event management staff at 540/720-5584 and they can mail/fax you a registration form. All pre-registrations must be in by the end of day on August 31, 2012, to qualify for the pre-registration discounts.

Attendee registration includes registration to all seminars, workshops, social events and admittance to the IWFC Exhibition/Extravaganza, where you can watch the Automotive and Architectural Divisions of the International Window Film Tint-Off™, as well as talk one-on-one with industry manufacturers and suppliers.

Registration will be available on-site, though pre-registration discounts are only available through August 31.

To pre-register, visit http://www.windowfilmmag.com/iwfc and receive the discounted price until August 31.

Solar Gard is once again one of our Supporters of the 2012 International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™ (IWFC). The event is set to be held this September 20-22 in Louisville, Ky., at the Kentucky International Convention Center, the Hyatt Regency Louisville and the Louisville Marriott Downtown. The Exhibition/Extravaganza will be held September 21-22.

During the conference, attendees are able to take part in educational seminars by industry leaders and expert speakers including a keynote address by Captain Richard Phillips; network on the Exhibition/Extravaganza show floor with window film manufacturers; and view the Tint-Off™ competitions. Today’s interview is with  Lawrence Constantin, director of sales for Solar Gard.

Window Film Magazine: Why did Solar Gard choose to sponsor the 2012 International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™ (IWFC)?
Constantin: The International Window Film Conference is an important event for our industry, and Solar Gard is proud to stand behind the IWFA and Window Film Magazine as co-organizers. Dealer training and education is crucial in creating successful window film entrepreneurs and we are thrilled to be a part of it.

Window Film Magazine: Why is an event like the IWFC important to the film industry?
Constantin: Events like the IWFC are a perfect time for everyone in the window film industry to come together and share “tips and tricks” of the trade. Training sessions help advance the progression of the industry and the Tint-Off™ competition brings excitement to window film. The event showcases what the IWFA does behind-the-scenes and helps connect dealers with manufacturers, as well as with other dealers. It’s also a good forum for industry announcements and new product debuts. You’ll find the most leading-edge technology at the IWFC.

Window Film Magazine: What can attendees expect to see from Solar Gard at the 2012 show?
Constantin: We can’t wait to share with dealers the latest on Solar Gard Partner Points, our industry-leading rewards program. More than 1,300 dealers in the U.S. and Canada are already enrolled and earning Partner Points and we have several dealers who have already redeemed them for electronics and outdoor equipment. We also invite attendees to stop by our booth for a free welcome gift and learn more about our film offerings, dealer marketing tools and support, and architectural business resources.

Window Film Magazine: Does Solar Gard have any advice for the 2012 Tint-Off Automotive and Architectural Division competitors?
Constantin: We wish all the competitors the best of luck and are looking forward to a great Tint-Off!

The International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™ is co-sponsored by Window Film magazine and the International Window Film Association. Auto Glass Week™ also will be held concurrently. The event is managed by Window Film magazine.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Solar Gard makes architectural and automotive window films, photovoltaics and custom coatings and is a division of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, a leader in the habitat and construction markets. Solar Gard products are sold in more than 90 countries under the Solar Gard®, Panorama®, Quantum® and Solar Gard Armorcoat® brands.

To register or for more information, visit the official event website, www.windowfilmmag.com/iwfc.

Items in the past that have been donated include cameras, watches, iPods, sporting event tickets and sports equipment. Donations of items or cash to purchase items for the auction will be accepted. For those interested, please contact Jean Pero at jeanmygrantglass@gmail.com.

The Silent Charity Auction is Friday, September 21 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on the show floor. The International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™ will run September 20-22, in Louisville, Ky., at the Kentucky International Convention Center, the Hyatt Regency Louisville and the Louisville Marriott Downtown. The Exhibition/Extravaganza is September 21-22.

The event helps to raise proceeds for the non-profit organization, the Auto Glass Safety Council (formerly the AGRSS Council Inc.). The Auto Glass Safety Council is dedicated to the proper installation of windshields and offers a registration program for shops that includes random third-party validations.

At each venue my crews were installing 7 mil security film, but one venue had hundreds of windows that were stippled glass. As we all know we can’t put film on a non-smooth surface. In come the geniuses at 3M who have a liquid security film called Scotchkote (Urethane Glass Coating 605). Admittedly I have been in the industry a mere 13+ years but I never heard of this product and neither did any of my installers. So I thought maybe some of you haven’t heard of this product either.

Scotchkote is made expressly as a single component liquid applied anti-shatter coating for use on glass (including stippled glass) and it’s rolled on like paint. Being intrigued by this new (to me) “quasi film product” I wanted to get my hands dirty and see how it installs—yes that’s me in the video.

Scotchkote is clear and much thicker than a traditional paint. It rolls on easy and requires two coats. For maximum protection it needs two coats on both sides of the window. Of course the surface must be cleaned before installation and appropriate safety gear must be worn. I don’t see it as a replacement for security film on regular windows because it doesn’t have the optical clarity that a high quality film does. However, it certainly offers a protection for certain types of glass that we haven’t had a solution for before. This, of course, means another product we can make money on.

If you remember, in my last blog I left you hanging and guessing on four pictures from Muscat, Oman of some U.S. retail institutions. How many did you get right in “Name That Place?” Here are the complete pictures of each sign.

The survey last month asked how you trim film. Do you use a trim card, free hand or do you do both? It seems like most of us use both methods depending on the windows and circumstances as 46.2 percent was the highest response. Coming in second was trim card only at 30.8 percent, while only 23 percent of you like to go free hand exclusively (you daredevils).

This month I want to know how many of you knew about Scotchkote. Was I the only one in the dark?

Quote of the Month

When asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:

“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

This quote is often attributed to the Dalai Lama, but this is disputed. I love the quote though.