U.S. Panel Reverses Ruling Against Mitsubishi Heavy

A federal agency that oversees trade disputes has rejected General Electric Co.'s claim that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. violated GE patents to build wind turbines that the Japanese firm imports to the U.S.
The U.S. International Trade Commission decision, handed down Friday without comment, reversed an administrative law judge's earlier ruling that Mitsubishi Heavy 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 Daniel Nelson said in a statement. Mr. Nelson said GE would review its legal options. Tom Aiyama, a spokesman for Mitsubishi Heavy in New York, said the company 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, Mr. Kaplan said in a telephone interview last 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 U.S. where the machines are built. —Associated Press