The Chinese module manufacturer Trina Solar and its South Korean competitor Hanwha Qcells have disclosed that they have settled a patent dispute that Trina Solar began in January.
The two firms announced in a joint statement that they had achieved a patent licencing and transfer deal about their intellectual property.
“The agreement permits both parties to use each other’s solar patents and drops all outstanding litigation between the two firms,” they explained. Each firm will continue to sell and support their individual goods in various markets in order to satisfy the demands of its clients.
In a patent infringement lawsuit filed against Hanwha Qcells (Qidong), a Chinese subsidiary of Hanwha Qcells, Trina Solar alleged that the South Korean company unlawfully exported and sold solar modules that infringed upon a 2016 patent granted to the Chinese manufacturer by the China National Intellectual Property Administration.
Trina Solar informed pv magazine at the time, “The case includes the core cell technology frequently utilised in Hanwha’s current modules made in China and sold abroad.” The allegedly infringing items consist of Q.PEAK DUO BLK M-G11A+, Q.PEAK DUO M-G11, and other essential products.
If Trina Solar had been successful in proving its claims in China, Hanwha Qcells may have been barred from manufacturing and selling infringing goods in China and other countries. In addition, it may have incurred substantial compensation expenditures for previous production and sales.
In December, a German court granted a preliminary injunction ordering Trina Solar to cease selling its Honey and Vertex X solar modules in Germany due to claimed infringement of Hanwha Qcells’ patent-protected passivation methods.
At the end of October, Hanwha Solutions asked for a preliminary injunction, saying that Trina Solar (Germany) sold fake solar modules on the German market. The company claimed that Trina Solar panels violated one of its patents for its patented Q. Antum passivation technique. It was said that the technique is a key part of making silicon-based solar cells work better.
