Is China Exporting Stolen US Technology into Brazil?

Concerns on the part of engineering and technology firms around the world about Chinese companies stealing intellectual property are not new. Recently, the debate has swirled around the issue wind farms, particularly Sinovel Wind Group, one of China’s – and the world’s – largest wind turbine manufacturers.

Sinovel calls itself a ground-breaking trail blazer in technology, boasting on its LinkedIn page that it is the first company in China to engage in the independent development, design, manufacture and marketing of multi-megawatt onshore, offshore, and intertidal series wind turbines that can adapt to different zones and environments.

Others, however, have accused if of stealing overseas secrets. In February, US Wind energy company AMSC filed three civil lawsuits against the firm in the Chinese courts alleging that Sinovel had illegally used AMSC wind turbine control software source code to gain access to the American firm’s wind turbine technology.

The dispute is affecting companies beyond China and the US. In Brazil, AMSC filed a court case earlier this year against renewable energy provider Desenvix, alleging that the turbines Desenvix purchased from Sinovel may have contained the allegedly stolen technology.