‘There is no such thing as a global patent’
Jeffrey Saltman, partner at US intellectual property law firm Fisch Sigler LLP, recently spoke to pv magazine about the rising number of patent lawsuits between PV module manufacturers. He said this increase in litigation mainly stems from the industry’s convergence on tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) tech and noted that the number of lawsuits is likely to rise in the near future.
First Solar warns global solar manufacturers of patent infringement
The U.S. solar panel manufacturer has sent letters to Longi, Trina Solar, Jinko Solar, JA Solar and Canadian Solar saying it believes the companies are infringing on its patents.
Trina Solar sues Canadian Solar for alleged TOPCon patent infringement
Trina Solar has filed a lawsuit against Canadian Solar in a US court, claiming patent infringement on an unspecified tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology.
Carbon provides clarity on patent case with JA Solar
French PV manufacturer Carbon says it is leading a consortium that has filed a patent opposition against JA Solar’s tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) patent at the European Patent Office (EPO) in May 2023. In early October, the EPO upheld the patent as valid, but Carbon says this ruling is only preliminary.
France’s Carbon involved in patent case with JA Solar
France-based PV manufacturer Carbon is currently involved in patent proceedings with JA Solar over tunneling silicon oxide (SiO2) layers, doped polysilicon layers, and electrodes in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar products.
JA Solar files patent infringement lawsuit against Astronergy
JA Solar has filed two patent lawsuits against Astronergy in the Unified Patent Court (UPC). The proceedings are related to the tunneling silicon oxide (SiO2) layers, the doped polysilicon layer, and the electrodes used in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar products.
Runergy urges US authorities to revoke two of Trina Solar’s TOPCon patents
Runergy is pushing the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to cancel Trina Solar’s tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) patents, US9,722,104 and US10,230,009.
Trina Solar probing potential breaches of TOPCon patents
Trina Solar says it has started evaluating potential violations of some of its patents for tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) tech. One of the patents focuses on the number of busbars and their width in TOPCon solar panels.
Shoals files patent complaint for solar connectors, wire harnesses
Shoals Technologies has filed a patent infringement complaint against Hikam America and Voltage, LLC, with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).
Trina Solar, Hanwha Qcells reach settlement on patent dispute
Hanwha Qcells and Trina Solar say they have signed a patent licensing and transfer agreement with each other to end a dispute over their intellectual property.
