China’s photovoltaic industry has formally launched its first patent pool, a move that could reshape how intellectual property is licensed and enforced across the country’s solar manufacturing value chain.
The platform was unveiled in Beijing on April 21 at an event held under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), with organizational support from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) intellectual property committee and the National PV Manufacturing Industry IP Operation Center.
The patent pool was jointly initiated by Trina Solar, JA Solar, and JinkoSolar, and focuses on TOPCon solar cell and module patents in mainland China. According to disclosures at the launch event, the pool initially included 54 Chinese patents and patent applications. It is designed to operate on an open, market-based basis, combining cross-licensing among members with one-stop licensing for external implementers.
Organizers said the model aims to improve licensing efficiency, reduce litigation, and mitigate the “patent thicket” risk as TOPCon technology matures. Reports from the event indicated that all rights holders are eligible to join, while licensing rates will be set with reference to market practice, national licensing data, and comparable agreements. A separate expert guidance committee comprising 14 specialists has been established to oversee compliance, legal robustness, and antitrust considerations.
The new patent pool appears to represent an industry-level effort to shift competition away from pricing alone and toward technology value, licensing discipline, and coordinated overseas enforcement. A Chinese media report published on MIIT’s official website linked the initiative to broader efforts to curb “involution-style” competition and strengthen IP protection in strategic emerging industries. For exporters, the pool may also provide a more coordinated framework for addressing overseas patent challenges as Chinese PV companies expand in Europe and other key markets.
The launch follows a period of increasingly visible patent disputes within China’s solar sector, particularly around TOPCon. In September 2025, Longi and JinkoSolar announced a global settlement covering ongoing patent claims and disputes between the parties and their affiliates, ending litigation and establishing cross-licensing arrangements for certain core patents.
A similar case followed in November 2025, when JA Solar and Astronergy reached a global settlement covering ongoing patent disputes, agreed to terminate related legal proceedings, and entered into cross-licensing for their TOPCon portfolios.
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