May 20, 2010 — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas, Inc., filed an antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court against GE.

The complaint charges GE with monopolizing the variable speed wind power turbine market in the U.S. Mitsubishi seeks damages that will be calculated during litigation.

In the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court’s Western District of Arkansas, Mitsubishi alleges that after Mitsubishi gained a foothold in the U.S. market in 2006, GE attempted to drive Mitsubishi suppliers out of the U.S. market.

In addition, attorneys for Mitsubishi filed suit in U.S. District Court’s Middle District of Florida against GE charging them with infringing a Mitsubishi patent for variable speed wind turbines.

The patent lawsuit alleges that GE has been making, using, selling and offering to sell infringing wind turbines without authorization or license to do so.

The complaint further alleges that GE made claims of patent infringement against Mitsubishi.

GE launched its first lawsuit for patent infringement against Mitsubishi in February 2008, claiming Mitsubishi’s 2.4 MW wind turbine infringed three of GE’s patents. The U.S. International Trade Commission found January 8, 2010 that Mitsubishi had not infringed upon GE’s patents.

GE filed a second suit in federal court in Dallas, asking for an injunction barring Mitsubishi and its subsidiaries from using what GE claimed was patented technology, and sought unspecified damaged.

According to the 2009 annual report from the American Wind Energy Association, GE sold more wind turbines in the U.S. than any other company.