（一）
Context: JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese solar panel manufacturer, has been embroiled in disputes around the world as a defendant, successfully fighting off patent infringement allegations in the ITC and the United States District Court of Delaware. The company is also currently involved in two more cases as a defendant – in Australia and Germany – but is not alone. The solar panel market, estimated to be valued at US$175 billion in 2023, has seen an increasing number of patent infringement disputes across the world, including one campaign filed by U.S. manufacturer First Solar against four Chinese rivals and one in Canada last month.
背景：晶科能源控股有限公司（JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.）是中国一家领先的太阳能电池板制造商，作为被告卷入世界各地的纠纷，成功驳回美国国际贸易委员会（ITC）和特拉华州地方法院的专利侵权指控。该公司目前还作为被告卷入澳大利亚和德国另外两起案件，或许还有更多。据估计2023年太阳能电池板市场的价值为1750亿美元，世界各地出现了越来越多的专利侵权纠纷，包括上月美国制造商First Solar针对四家中国竞争对手和一家加拿大公司发起的诉讼。
What’s new: JinkoSolar has filed a patent infringement complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against VSUN Solar USA Inc, a major Japanese renewable energy company, and its affiliates. The Chinese manufacturer is seeking a “preliminary and permanent injunction (PI) preventing any further infringement”.
最新消息：晶科能源（JinkoSolar）在美国加州北区地方法院对日本大型可再生能源公司VSUN Solar USA Inc及其附属公司提起专利侵权诉讼。这家中国制造商寻求“初步和永久禁令（PI），以防止任何进一步的侵权行为”。
Direct impact and wider ramifications: A recent statement by the company’s Vice President suggests JinkoSolar will be taking a more offensive approach in its patent strategy. However, at the moment, the company is only suing the Japanese company in the U.S., and it is unclear whether it has or will file actions in any other of its major jurisdictions, such as China or Japan. This case is certainly one to watch though as it adds to a big wave of actions being filed by solar panel manufacturers across the world.
更直接和更广泛的影响：该公司副总裁最近的一份声明称，晶科能源将在其专利战略中采取更具攻击性的方法。然而，目前该公司仅在美国起诉这家日本公司，尚不清楚它是否已经或将在其他国家如中国或日本提起诉讼。此案无疑值得关注，因为它加剧了全球太阳能电池板制造商发起的诉讼浪潮。
（二）
以下是晶科能源的起诉书：24-12-06 晶科能源诉 VSUN 等人投诉 （NDCA 3-24cv8828）（点击阅读原文，即可了解详情）
The complaint, filed on December 6, accuses VSUN and its affiliates Abalance Corporation, WWB Corporation, Fuji Solar Co., Ltd., Vietnam Sunergy Joint Stock Company, Vietnam Sunergy Company Limited, Toyo Co. Ltd, and Vietnam Sunergy Cell Company Limited, of infringing JinkoSolar’s following N-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell patents:
-
U.S. Patent No. 11,581,454 (“Solar cell, manufacturing method thereof, and photovoltaic module”)
-
U.S. Patent No. 11,824,136 (“Solar cell, manufacturing method thereof, and photovoltaic module”)
该申诉于12月6日提交，指控VSUN及其附属公司Abalance Corporation、WWB Corporation、Fuji Solar Co. Ltd、Vietnam Sunergy Joint Stock Company、Vietnam Sunergy Company Limited、Toyo Co. Ltd和Vietnam Sunergy Cell Company Limited侵犯了晶科能源的以下N型隧穿氧化层钝化接触（TOPCon）太阳能电池专利：
①美国专利号：11,581,454（“太阳能电池、其制造方法和光伏组件”）
②美国专利号：11,824,136（“太阳能电池、其制作方法和光伏组件”）
The company alleges that the solar panel products that infringe on JinkoSolar’s patents are displayed on VSUN’s website and have been sold in at least the following places: Manheim, Pennsylvania and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in Ohio. JinkoSolar is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing VSUN from any further infringement. A more detailed PI motion is expected to be filed soon explaining why JinkoSolar believes it satisfies the legal requirements for one. The company’s complaint also seeks damages of an unspecified amount and a trial by jury.
该公司声称，侵犯晶科能源专利的太阳能电池板产品在VSUN的网站上展示，并至少在以下地方出售：曼海姆、宾夕法尼亚州和俄亥俄州的辛辛那提动物园和植物园。晶科能源正在寻求初步和永久禁令，防止VSUN进一步侵权。预计不久将提交一份更详细的PI动议，解释为什么晶科能源认为自己符合禁令的法律要求。该公司的诉状中还请求金额未明的损害赔偿和陪审团审判。
JinkoSolar is represented by Louise Lu, Miguel Bombach, and Abigail Gardner at Perkins Coie. In a statement, Mrs Lu said:
“JinkoSolar has earned its leadership position in the global solar module market through significant R&D investments and will vigorously defend its intellectual property against those who sell infringing products.”
晶科能源的代理人是博钦律师事务所的Louise Lu, Miguel Bombach和Abigail Gardner。Lu在声明中表示：“晶科能源通过大量研发投资，在全球太阳能组件市场赢得了领先地位，并将积极捍卫其知识产权，抵制销售侵权产品。”
JinkoSolar was founded in 2006 and became the world’s largest photovoltaic module manufacturer in 2023. It holds the leading position in the N-type TOPCon segment and currently manages a portfolio of over 460 patents related to that technology – with over 2,280 patents granted in the wider solar panel field. In a recent statement, the company’s Vice President Dany Qian said:
“While we will remain an intellectual property powerhouse with one of the strongest solar PV patent portfolios, as part of our innovation strategy, we are taking a more focused and selective approach to patenting.”
Mr Qian said the company currently uses its patents “defensively”, or as a way to dissuade rivals from filing patent infringement lawsuits by threatening to file its own patent suits, but it will soon be opening its portfolio for licensing.
晶科能源成立于2006年，并于2023年成为全球最大的光伏电池板制造商。该公司在N型TOPCon领域占据领先地位，目前管理着超过460项与该技术相关的专利组合，在更广泛的太阳能电池板领域获得超过2280项专利。在最近的一份声明中，该公司副总裁Dany Qian表示：“虽然我们将继续保持强大的知识产权实力，拥有最丰富的太阳能光伏专利组合之一，作为创新战略的一部分，我们正在采取更具有针对性和选择性的专利策略。”Qian表示，该公司目前“防御性”使用其专利，即通过威胁要提起专利诉讼来阻止竞争对手提起专利侵权诉讼，但该公司将很快开放其专利组合的授权许可。
（三）
This week’s lawsuit comes against a background of an increasingly litigious solar panel market.
本周的诉讼是在太阳能电池组件市场诉讼愈演愈烈的背景下发生的。
JinkoSolar, for starters, was sued for patent infringement by Korean rival Hanwha Q Cells & Advanced Materials Corp. (Hanwha) in the U.S. ITC, the United States District Court of Delaware, Germany’s Düsseldorf Regional Court and the Federal Court of Australia. The defendant was successful in the first two cases ,but the latter two are still pending in court. Hanwha also launched litigation against China’s LONGi Green Energy in courts in the U.S., Germany, Australia, France and the Netherlands, before the two settled with a patent cross-licensing agreement in 2023.
首先，晶科能源在美国国际贸易委员会（ITC）、美国特拉华州地区法院、德国杜塞尔多夫地区法院和澳大利亚联邦法院被韩国竞争对手韩华集团（Hanwha Q Cells & Advanced Materials Corp.）起诉专利侵权。被告在前两起案件中胜诉，但后两起案件仍在法庭待决。韩华集团还在美国、德国、澳大利亚、法国和荷兰的法院对中国隆基绿能提起诉讼，最终双方于2023年达成专利交叉许可协议。
Hanwha is also acting as a defendant alongside Norway’s REC Solar Holdings AS in a separate case filed by Singapore-based solar module manufacturer Maxeon in April in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
此外，韩华集团还与挪威REC Solar Holdings AS公司一起，在新加坡太阳能组件制造商Maxeon于今年4月向美国德克萨斯东区地方法院提起的另一起诉讼中担任被告。
Last month, it emerged that U.S. solar manufacturer First Solar had launched a patent infringement campaign against four major Chinese solar manufacturers and one in Canada. As well as targeting JinkoSolar, FirstSolar has sued Canadian Solar, JA Solar, LONGi Green Energy, and Trina Solar. The complaints also allege the infringement of patents related to TOPCon solar cell technology. First Solar’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Widmar stated on the company’s earnings call in October that First Solar has “begun to leverage” its portfolio “as part of [their] ongoing efforts to develop the next generation of PV technologies”.
上个月，美国太阳能制造商First Solar对四家中国主要太阳能制造商和一家加拿大制造商发起了专利侵权诉讼。除了晶科能源，First Solar还起诉了Canadian Solar、晶澳科技、隆基绿能和天合光能。这些诉讼还指控侵犯了与TOPCon太阳能电池技术相关的专利。First Solar首席执行官Mark Widmar在10月的公司财报电话会上表示，First Solar“已经开始利用其专利组合，作为开发下一代光伏（PV）技术持续努力的一部分”。