Chinese solar module manufacturer Longi has filed two patent infringement lawsuits against JinkoSolar, alleging the use of its solar cell technology in China and the United States.

In China, Longi filed the lawsuit at the Jinan Intermediate People's Court in Shandong, demanding an immediate halt to the manufacturing, sales, and offers to sell the allegedly infringing products.

“The Jinan Intermediate People's Court has accepted the case, with an expected trial date set for Mar. 20,” the company said in a statement.

In the United States, the lawsuit was filed against Jinko Solar and its subsidiaries at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleging patent infringement of Jinko Solar's TOPCon and multiple other unspecified photovoltaic module products.

JinkoSolar recently took similar actions against Longi in China, Japan and Australia.

In December 2024, JinkoSolar also filed a patent infringement lawsuit against competitor VSUN, a unit of Japan's Fuji Solar, in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. JinkoSolar said it sued VSUN and its US affiliates, but did not identify a specific patent.

Last week, JinkoSolar sued Indian solar company Waaree Energies and its US subsidiary, Waaree Solar Americas, in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleging infringement of its n-type TOPCon patent, US11,824,136B2.

Since early 2024, competition in China’s solar industry has shifted from pricing battles to a full-fledged patent war. A series of intellectual property disputes over TOPCon and back contact (BC) technologies have erupted, involving major industry players such as Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, Longi, JinkoSolar, JA Solar, and Astronergy, among others. This case marks the latest development in this ongoing conflict.

by pv magazine