The U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee (ITC) has issued its preliminary willpower in a patent infringement criticism in opposition to Voltage, discovering that cable administration patents from Shoals Applied sciences Group had been infringed upon.
Credit score: Shoals
On Feb. 6, Administrative Regulation Decide (ALJ) Doris Johnson Hines decided that Voltage violated Sec. 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 by importing its LYNX trunk bus merchandise into the US. The LYNX product allegedly infringes on Shoals’ patents for its Huge Lead Meeting (BLA) answer.
That is the most recent willpower in a prolonged patent infringement battle between Shoals and Voltage. Shoals first claimed infringement in opposition to Voltage in 2023 for 2 photo voltaic panel connector and wire harness patents. These complaints finally led to a no-fault determination by the ITC in early 2025, and the case was terminated. Shoals filed a brand new criticism on Jan. 10, 2025, with two totally different patents (Nos. 12,015,375 and 12,015,376), which is what this current preliminary willpower refers.
A Sec. 337 violation declares that the infringement of sure patents results in unfair competitors in import commerce. Decide Hines discovered that each the ‘375 and ‘376 patents have been infringed upon below Sec. 337 in her preliminary willpower.
“This preliminary ruling is a giant step towards a win for American innovation and the home power provide chain,” stated Brandon Moss, CEO of Shoals Applied sciences Group. “We recognize the ALJ’s recognition that defending mental property means defending the way forward for American power safety. Shoals was based on the assumption that U.S. manufacturing ought to lead the electrification revolution, and we’ll proceed to defend our mental property, put money into home manufacturing, and create American jobs.”
The ITC’s ultimate willpower ought to be launched by June 2026. Within the meantime, Voltage should still import its LYNX merchandise into the US. Two years in the past, Voltage tweaked its LYNX design to step away from any Shoals’ patent infringement claims. That’s probably why the ITC threw out the primary Sec. 337 case, however now Shoals is claiming infringement on totally different patents.
Voltage, primarily based in North Carolina, manufactures some product in China. The corporate simply introduced it will open a brand new eBOS manufacturing site in North Carolina to provide extra Made-in-America product. The corporate has developed the brand new LYNX PLUS product, which is a “step ahead past present trunk-bus options.”
