Shoals Technologies Group Files Motion to Amend Patent Infringement Complaint with ITC, Adding Additional Claims Against Voltage with New Technology Patent
July 27 2023 - 4:05PM
Shoals Technologies Group, Inc. (“Shoals” or the “Company”)
(Nasdaq: SHLS), a leading provider of electrical balance of systems
(“EBOS”) solutions for solar, storage, and electric vehicle (EV)
charging infrastructure, announced today that its patent
infringement complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission
(ITC) against Voltage, LLC, based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
has been amended to add a third, recently-issued U.S Patent.
On June 27, 2023, the United States Patent and
Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 11,689,153 B2 (the “’153
patent”), owned by Shoals and relating to improved connectors for
solar panel arrays. Upon issuance of the ‘153 patent’ Shoals filed
a motion to amend its patent infringement complaint with the ITC,
adding additional claims against Voltage. On June 28, 2023, Shoals
also filed an amended complaint adding the ’153 patent in its
parallel action against Voltage pending in the United States
District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. On July
18, 2023, the presiding judge granted Shoals’ motion. Shoals’
complaint requests that the ITC issue a limited exclusion order and
a cease and desist order against Voltage and related entities to
bar the importation into the United States of devices, components
and products that are alleged to infringe Shoals’ patents.
As previously announced, the U.S. ITC has
instituted an investigation into allegations of patent infringement
against Hikam America, Inc. and Voltage, LLC. The ITC’s decision is
based on the previously announced complaint filed by Shoals
requesting that the ITC bar the importation of the alleged
infringing products into the United States under Section 337 of the
Tariff Act of 1930. As a result of the decision, the ITC will
investigate the unlawful imports of certain photovoltaic connectors
and components that infringe two valid and enforceable patents
owned by Shoals relating to improved connectors for solar panel
arrays (U.S. Patent No. 10,553,739 and U.S. Patent No. 10,992,254).
Shoals’ complaint requests that the ITC issue a limited exclusion
order and a cease and desist order against Hikam, Voltage and
related entities to bar the importation into the United States of
devices, components and products that are alleged to infringe
Shoals’ patents.
Invented and manufactured in the United States,
Shoals’ patented Big Lead Assembly (BLA) connectors and wire
harnesses with in-line fuses are designed to offer significant
savings to developers, owners, and engineering, procurement and
construction firms of solar installations because they reduce or
eliminate the need for combiner boxes, reduce the amount of wire
and other materials needed, substantially reduce the labor costs
for installation and provide exceptional long-term operations and
maintenance benefits. The patented connectors are less expensive to
manufacture and transport than alternatives, easy to use, and
permit a more simplified component configuration in the solar
field.
About Shoals Technologies Group,
Inc.
Shoals Technologies Group, Inc. is a leading
provider of electrical balance of systems (EBOS) solutions for
solar, storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Since
its founding in 1996, the Company has introduced innovative
technologies and systems solutions that allow its customers to
substantially increase installation efficiency and safety while
improving system performance and reliability. Shoals Technologies
Group, Inc. is a recognized leader in the renewable energy industry
whose solutions are deployed on over 62 GW of solar systems
globally. For additional information, please visit:
https://www.shoals.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking
statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and
assumptions and on information currently available. Forward-looking
statements include information concerning the patent infringement
complaint and possible effects on the company’s business strategies
and operations. These forward-looking statements are not historical
facts and can be identified by terms such as “anticipate,”
“believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,”
“potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,”
“would,” and similar expressions and the negatives of those
terms.
Forward-looking statements involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Some of the
key factors that could cause actual results to differ from our
expectations include, among others, whether the ITC and District
Courts will determine to initiate an investigation into the Hikam
and Voltage defendants for the alleged infringement; the duration
of the complaints, including potential counteractions, as well as
the outcome of the patent complaint; the risk of loss of revenue
from a potential decision that the products subject to the
complaint do not infringe the Company’s patents; the risk that the
patents subject to the complaint are declared invalid; the
Company’s product platform and resulting commercial opportunities;
expectations about the cost, timing or likelihood of success of the
Company’s patent complaint and validity challenges; the Company’s
ability to fund the patent complaint and other necessary patent
enforcement or defense actions; and other risks and uncertainties
described in the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as
well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time
in our subsequent periodic and current reports filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
All forward-looking statements represent our
management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this
report. You should read this report with the understanding that our
actual future results may be materially different from what we
expect.
Except as required by law, we assume no
obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update
the reasons actual results could differ materially from those
anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new
information becomes available in the future.
Contacts:
Investors:Email: investors@shoals.com Phone:
615-323-9836
Media: Email: media@shoals.com
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