Trade Commission: Mitsubishi Did Not Infringe on GE’s Wind Turbine Patents

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. did not infringe General Electric Inc.'s patents for wind turbines. GE had filed a federal suit in September 2009 against Mitsubishi, claiming three of its patents were violated. The ITC ruling found that Mitsubishi did not infringe those patents and may continue to sell its components in the U.S. market. Had GE prevailed in keeping Mitsubishi from selling its products in the U.S., the move would have affected two South Texas wind farms and another in the Pacific Northwest. Finnegan partner Roger Taylor, who represented Mitsubishi, said such an interruption “would not have been good economic news to those three communities. Uncertainty, for both parties, is not good for business. Now, we can all move forward.”