Tag Archives: court
LEED Certified Lawyers?
Lawyers already have to slog their way through contracts, torts, criminal and constitutional law… but maybe it’s time to add “green building law” to the list? An emerging new trend among attorneys is appending “LEED AP” to the “JD” already behind their name. The acronym stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional”, [...]
ITC prepares to Make Decision on Chinese Solar
Almost a year ago SolarWorld-backed Coalition for American Solar Manufacturers (CASM) filed trade complaints with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) alleging that Chinese photovoltaic manufacturers engaged in unfair trade practices designed to sell their modules at costs below market rates to capture marketshare. But another group, the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) has [...]
London’s Greenest Building
There has been a conscious environmental movement over the past few years that has been picking up much steam in a wide variety of sectors. In 2009, the city of London saw an excellent environmental building addition, the 7 More London development next to Tower Bridge. Following its completion, 7 More was rated the most [...]
Zep Solar and Westinghouse Settle Litigation
Previous posts (here, here and here) discussed the patent litigation between Zep Solar and Westinghouse Solar over solar panel mounting technology. The contentious dispute involved at least three patents, three forums, two reexaminations, and back and forth cross claims of infringement and invalidity. Recently, Zep and Westinghouse announced that they have reached a comprehensive settlement to end their patent [...]
Solar Drama: SunPower Sues SolarCity Over ‘Stolen’ Documents
In what is being described as symptomatic of the “cutthroat” world of solar energy, San Jose-based SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA) sued SolarCity on Monday, Feb. 13, for reportedly accepting what it knew were stolen documents. SunPower, a major solar panel manufacturer located in the Bay Area, which in 2010 produced the world’s most efficient solar [...]
Green Patent Complaints: January 2012
There have been a few green patent complaints filed in the last several weeks in the areas of LEDs, solar power, and biofuels. LEDs Fiber Optic Designs, Inc. v. Seasons 4, Inc. Filed December 16, 2011 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Fiber Optic Designs’ (FOD) complaint (FiberOptic_Complaint) alleges that Seasons 4 is infringing two patents directed to [...]
December 2011 Green Patent and Copyright Update
Several green patent lawsuits (and one green copyright suit) have been filed in the last several weeks in the areas of LEDs, hybrid vehicles, wastewater treatment, energy management, and biodegradable materials. LEDs Bluestone Innovations Florida, L.L.C. v. Formosa Epitaxy Bluestone Innovations (Bluestone), a Florida-based patent licensing company, recently filed a Complaint in the U.S. District Court for [...]
Green Patent Complaint Update 10/28
Two green patent lawsuits have been filed in the last few weeks in the areas of smart grid and solar. Smart Grid Sensus USA Inc. v. Nxegen LLC Sensus USA filed a complaint (Sensus-Nxegen_Complaint) against Nxegen on October 19, 2011 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Sensus asserts two patents against Nxegen, [...]
Taking A Look at the Westinghouse/ Zep Solar Legal Battle
Previous posts (here and here) discussed the patent litigation pending in federal court between solar installation competitors Akeena Solar (now Westinghouse Solar) and Zep Solar (Zep) involving two Westinghouse patents, U.S. Patents Nos. 7,406,800 (‘800 Patent) and 7,987,641 (‘641 Patent). Westinghouse recently opened a new front in this patent battle when it filed a complaint [...]