Feds reject GE claim that Mitsubishi violated wind turbine patents

ITC rules against GE in turbine patent dispute

DENVER — A federal agency that oversees trade disputes has rejected General Electric Co.’s claim that Mitsubishi violated GE patents to build wind turbines the Japanese firm imports to the United States.

The U.S. International Trade Commission decision, handed down Friday without comment, reversed an administrative law judge’s earlier ruling that Mitsubishi had violated the patents.

The commission said it would issue an opinion detailing its reasoning.

“GE believes strongly in the merits of its case against MHI, and we will continue to protect our technology in the U.S. and around the world,” company spokesman Dan Nelson said in a statement.

Nelson said in a telephone interview that the company will review its legal options, but he declined further comment.

Tom Aiyama, a spokesman for Mitsubishi in New York, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that it was pleased with the decision but wanted to analyze it before deciding on future strategies.

The case comes as larger wind turbines are becoming more popular, particularly in the West, because they take up less land and can be more cost effective to operate, Emerging Energy Research analyst Matt Kaplan said.

GE, based in Fairfield, Conn., and Mitsubishi have pegged 2010 as key for large turbines, Kaplan said in a telephone interview this week. Mitsubishi has a 2.4 megawatt product and GE has a 2.5 megawatt product.

Manufacturers that use GE’s technology have purchased licenses from GE or developed technology to circumvent the patents.

Mitsubishi manufactures components for the wind turbines in Japan and Mexico and imports them to the United States where the machines are built. The company is planning to build a $100 million turbine manufacturing facility in 2011 in western Arkansas in 2011.