Maxeon’s TOPCon Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Canadian Solar: A New Battlefront in the Fight for Intellectual Property Rights

Maxeon Solar Technologies has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Canadian Solar in the Eastern District of Texas. The lawsuit alleges that Canadian Solar has infringed on Maxeon’s patents related to its tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology.

According to Marc Robinson, associate general counsel at Maxeon, the company has a long history of developing solar cell technology and has been at the forefront of implementing TOPCon technology into both back contact and front contact solar cells. He states that Maxeon’s scientists and engineers were working on implementing TOPCon technology years before the term became widely used in the industry.

Maxeon holds numerous patents related to TOPCon technology, with some dating back to the early 2000s. This marks Maxeon’s first effort to enforce its patent rights in the US, and the company plans to continue vigorously protecting its patents in other markets as well.