JinkoSolar has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against LONGi Solar Technology Co., Ltd., a rival Chinese manufacturer, in Japan’s Tokyo District Court.
The lawsuit, initiated by JinkoSolar’s Japanese subsidiary Shangrao Xinyuan Yuedong Technology Development Co., Ltd., demands that LONGi cease its alleged infringement activities.
This legal action follows a similar case filed by JinkoSolar in early January at the Nanchang Intermediate People’s Court in China, also targeting LONGi over an undisclosed TOPCon solar cell technology.
While JinkoSolar has not specified which patents are involved in the Japanese case, it stated, “The new lawsuit in Japan underscores JinkoSolar’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property rights globally, and to maintaining a consistent stance on this issue.”
JinkoSolar holds over 2,800 patents, including 462 related to n-type TOPCon technology. Two recent patents – covering solar module design and the connection of solar cells within a module – were awarded in December 2024.
However, the company did not confirm if these patents are at the heart of the dispute.
“As globalisation accelerates, the importance of cross-border intellectual property enforcement cannot be overstated,” said a JinkoSolar spokesperson.
“These patents not only represent JinkoSolar’s technological leadership, but also form a cornerstone of its competitive advantage and commitment to advancing the solar industry.”
Patent disputes are increasingly common in the solar sector, especially as technologies like TOPCon and silicon heterojunction evolve.
Dr. Stefan Lange of Fraunhofer CSP attributes this trend to the complexity of microscopic and nanoscopic innovations, calling such disputes “a sign of the field’s maturation.”
