Hanwha Q Cells takes legal action in Australia as well

The Sydney-based unit of Hanwha Q Cells has continued the defence of the group’s rights in different markets around the world by filing patent infringement complaints in Australia.

More specifically, Hanwha Q Cells Australia Pty Ltd and Hanwha Q Cells & Advanced Materials Corp have filed those complaints with the Federal Court of Australia against Chinese rivals JinkoSolar (NYSE:JKS) and Longi Solar. It says that the pair is importing and selling solar cells and modules that infringe Hanwha Q Cells’ local patent rights as they incorporate the Korean firm’s patented passivation technology.

The legal actions taken aim to secure an order for JinkoSolar and Longi Solar to stop importing, marketing and selling the infringing products in Australia.

“The products supplied by these two companies are using technology that we believe is protected by our Australian patent and we have taken these actions both to protect our property rights and to give the market confidence that research and development initiatives to develop future technologies can continue,” commented Hee Cheul Kim, CEO of Hanwha Q Cells & Advanced Materials Corp.

As previously announced, Hanwha Q Cells filed similar complaints in the US, against the two Chinese companies and Norway’s REC Group, and in Germany against JinkoSolar and REC Group.

Hanwha Q Cells again clarified on Tuesday that the patents in question relate to the solar cell structure and are not restricted to any particular method of manufacture, whether that is atomic layer deposition (ALD) or plasma-enhanced chemical deposition (PECVD).

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