Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Vestas) and General Electric Company (GE), acting through its Renewable Energy Business, have reached an amicable settlement of all disputes related to multiple patent infringement claims in the U.S., resulting in the discontinuation of the case pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California as well as all other pending proceedings related to the patents-in-suit.
The patents-in-suit generally relate to technologies that enable wind turbines to manage grid faults. With this settlement, any past infringements of the patents-in-suit are fully released. In addition, the settlement includes a cross-license to the patents-in-suit and their family members, as well as a confidential payment from Vestas to GE. The cross-license applies globally to the parties’ and their affiliates’ respective onshore and offshore wind businesses and ensures that they can use the technology covered by such patents.
The announcement resolves the initial lawsuit GE filed against Vestas and Vestas-American Wind Technology Inc. on 31 July 2017, claiming infringement of its U.S. Patents No. 7,629,705 and No. 6,921,985; Vestas’ two counterclaims against GE claiming infringement of its U.S. Patents No. 7,102,247 and No. 7,859,125 on 15 December 2017; and all pending inter-partes review proceedings with respect to the patents-in-suit.
