Chinese-Canadian PV manufacturer Canadian Solar has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued final written decisions invalidating all claims of two TOPCon solar cell patents previously asserted by China-based rival Trina Solar.
“This ruling reinforces Canadian Solar's long-standing, successful track record of managing international disputes,” the company said in a statement. “As a global leader in solar and energy storage technology innovation, the company has always prioritized organic R&D and has established a comprehensive and effective system to manage, commercialize, and defend its global IP rights which cover all key aspects of the industry value chain.”
Trina Solar had filed a complaint for patent infringement in the US District Court for the District of Delaware against three unspecified units of Canadian Solar in October 2024.
In February 2025, Trina Solar also initiated legal action in China against Canadian Solar and its subsidiary, Changshu Canadian Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd., for allegedly infringing two of its TOPCon solar cell technology patents. This lawsuit, filed with the Jiangsu High People’s Court, sought $147 million in damages.
According to Trina Solar’s announcement on Feb. 10, the dispute in China centers on two patents: Patent No. ZL201710975923.2, titled “Solar Cell Module,” and Patent No. ZL201510892086.8, titled “Solar Cell and Its Manufacturing Method.”
Canadian Solar has recently faced similar patent claims in the United States. In March 2024, Singapore-based Maxeon filed a patent infringement lawsuit against the company in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Maxeon previously sued Canadian Solar in Japan for patent infringement in 2020. In the lawsuit, Maxeon alleged that Canadian Solar Japan infringed upon its Japan Patent No. JP6642841B2, which is related to its shingled solar modules. The two companies reached a settlement in April 2022.
In addition, PV manufacturer Solaria filed three different patent infringement claims against Canadian Solar in the past, all related to the process of separating photovoltaic strips from solar cells for use in shingled modules.
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