First Solar says several large rivals are infringing on patents

(Reuters) -U.S. solar panel maker First Solar has notified several large rivals that it believes they are infringing on its patents on a leading solar technology, executives said on a conference call with analysts on Tuesday.

First Solar said it has sent letters, through its attorneys, to Canadian Solar, JA Solar, Longi, Jinko Solar and Trina Solar, according to a slide presentation on its web site.

First Solar said in July that it held patents on Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) crystalline silicon technology and was looking into infringement by rivals.

TOPCon's emergence has sparked a flurry of lawsuits in the last year between many of the world's biggest solar manufacturers.

None of the companies targeted by First Solar were immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Chris Reese and Sonali Paul)

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