Tesla Says SolarCity Deal Included Powerwall Inverter Rights (1)

Elon Musks’s Tesla Inc. said it bought the right to use a key component of its Powerwall solar battery system when it acquired the company that previously obtained those rights from the inventor, according to a new court filing.

Texas inventor Paul Garrity has accused Tesla of ripping off his solar battery technology by incorporating his protected inverter design into the Powerwall home backup power system. Relink US LLC—for which Garrity is managing member—sued Tesla for infringement of US Patent No. 9,793,755 in September, according to documents in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Tesla ...