REC strikes back with lawsuit against Hanwha Q Cells

Norway’s REC Group has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against a unit of Hanwha Q Cells, having successfully defended itself from a similar move by the South Korean company.

REC confirmed in a statement that it filed the lawsuit in China back in February and added that the case was accepted by the Suzhou IP Tribunal on April 8 and served on Hanwha Q Cells (Qidong) Co Ltd on April 20, 2020.

The Norwegian solar module manufacturer was granted the patent in China last summer. It relates to REC’s split cell and junction box technology, which it developed in-house and is “a key feature” of its advanced solar panels. The company says that it has been making products incorporating this technology for more than half a decade at its factory in Singapore.

“REC Group filed this action to protect its intellectual property, investments and reputation, as well as to encourage more innovation in the industry,” said Shankar Sridhara, chief technology officer of REC Group.

Last month, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) administrative law judge issued an initial determination that solar cells made by REC do not infringe a patent held by Hanwha Q-Cells.

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