Japan’s Sharp sues Tesla for patent infringement

TOKYO: Sharp Corp has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against the Japanese unit of Tesla Inc, seeking an injunction to halt imports of some electric vehicles (EV) to Japan, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The lawsuit, filed in Tokyo, alleges that mobile communications equipment installed in some Tesla models violate patents owned by Sharp, said the source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue. Kyodo News, which first reported the move, said Tesla’s Model S, Model 3 sedans and Model X sport-utility vehicle are subject to the lawsuit. A Sharp spokesman declined to comment, while Tesla didn’t immediately respond to Reuters’ e-mailed request for comment. Sharp, a unit of Taiwan’s Foxconn, has been actively filing patent infringement cases in recent months, accusing US TV brand Vizio Inc and Chinese smartphone maker OPPO. —Reuters