Canadian Solar wins U.S. solar-cell patent dispute against Maxeon

The U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidated Maxeon's asserted claims in a patent dispute over Canadian Solar's TOPCon technology, and Canadian Solar's U.S.-listed shares rose while Maxeon's fell.

Canadian Solar said the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidated the claims Maxeon had asserted in a patent dispute over Canadian Solar's TOPCon solar-cell technology. The ruling relates to patents that were at issue in federal court litigation. Maxeon had filed a patent infringement lawsuit in 2024 concerning the TOPCon technology. Market moves followed the announcement. Key facts: - Canadian Solar said the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidated all claims asserted by Maxeon related to the patents at issue in the federal court litigation. - Maxeon filed a patent infringement lawsuit in 2024 alleging Canadian Solar's TOPCon technology infringed its patents. - U.S.-listed shares of Canadian Solar rose about 5.2 percent after the announcement, while shares of Maxeon fell about 2.3 percent. - A Maxeon spokesperson told Reuters the company is evaluating the ruling and the option to appeal. - Maxeon also said the USPTO's ruling upheld the validity of one of its TOPCon patent claims and that it will continue to defend its intellectual property rights. Summary: The PTAB decision removed the asserted claims in the administrative review, changing the legal landscape reported in the related federal litigation. Maxeon is evaluating the ruling and the option to appeal and noted one TOPCon claim was upheld by the USPTO. Market reaction included a rise in Canadian Solar's U.S.-listed shares and a decline in Maxeon's, and a possible appeal is the next stated step.