The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM), began as the Manufacturer's Mutual Association (MMA), an organization originally formed to challenge the litigation of the fledgling automobile industry by George B. Selden and the Electric Vehicle Company. Ultimately, the organization took advantage of its power and became Selden's greatest ally. In exchange for favorable royalty rates, the group gained the power to litigate and exclude other manufacturers from licensing, making them the most powerful group in the early automotive industry.