First Solar shifts patent enforcement away from trade commission case

First Solar ($FSLR) said it intends to withdraw its TOPCon patent complaint at the US International Trade Commission without prejudice and seek termination of the associated investigation. The company plans to continue pursuing its pending US district-court cases against the relevant manufacturers and affiliates, preserving its broader patent-enforcement effort.

The change follows recent US trade actions concerning polysilicon and reflects a revised choice of enforcement forum. It is not a court ruling that the patents are invalid, nor a finding that the defendants infringed them. Withdrawal without prejudice leaves the possibility of bringing another complaint. The company has therefore changed the route of its legal campaign rather than announced that all disputes are settled or that it is abandoning its intellectual property.

Sources:

• First Solar — patent-enforcement strategy update