According to Glass Canada, Vitro Flat Glass has terminated its architectural glass licensing agreements with Jinjing and its affiliates since January 2025. The decision ends Jinjing's authorization to use Vitro’s architectural MSVD-coated glass, as well as the Solarban and Starphire trademarks.
The announcement states: "Vitro Flat Glass has terminated its architectural glass licensing agreements with Jinjing and its affiliates since January 2025, ending the authorization to use Vitro’s architectural MSVD-coated glass, as well as the Solarban and Starphire trademarks."
The announcement says: "Jinjing and its affiliates are currently not authorized to manufacture, market, sell or distribute architectural glass using these proprietary technologies or to represent their products as Solarban glass, Starphire glass, Vitro-licensed or PPG-licensed glass." "Any such claim of current Vitro or PPG authorization is invalid."
The company says the architectural licensing termination is separate from its continuing relationship with Jinjing involving automotive coating technologies. That relationship may remain in effect according to its own terms and is not affected by this announcement. Vitro also states that the announcement does not affect its warranty obligations for products supplied by Vitro.
Vitro asks customers, architects, specifiers, fabricators, glazing contractors and other industry partners to report any Jinjing product marketed as Solarban glass, Starphire glass or as authorized by Vitro or PPG. The company requests supporting materials including product details, project location, quotes, brochures, screenshots or other correspondence.
The announcement does not identify specific defective products or safety issues. Instead, it focuses on unauthorized use of proprietary technologies and trademarks. Vitro's language is consistent with a licensing enforcement action rather than a product recall.
What the termination means for Canadian glaziers and specifiers
For Canadian glazing contractors, fabricators, architects and specifiers, the notice is a prompt to verify that any Solarban or Starphire glass on a project is supplied through Vitro-authorized channels. The announcement’s request for reporting signals that unauthorized products may appear in project specifications or supply chains.
Solarban and Starphire are architectural glass product names that can appear in Canadian building envelope specifications. If a Jinjing product has been substituted under those names, the specifier or installer may be accepting a product that Vitro no longer authorizes. That distinction matters because Vitro’s warranty obligations remain only for products supplied by Vitro, according to the announcement.
The termination is a trademark and licensing action, not a change to Canadian building code or standards such as CSA A440 or NAFS. Projects still need to meet applicable provincial building code requirements, but verifying product authenticity is a separate step. Canadian glaziers should treat the brands as what they are: indications of Vitro’s proprietary technology, not generic descriptions.
Canadian fabricators that have supplied Solarban or Starphire in the past should review their supplier agreements and confirm whether any current inventory came from Jinjing after January 2025. The announcement does not mention a recall, but it does place responsibility on buyers to check provenance.
Why the announcement matters for brand integrity
The announcement states: "Vitro remains committed to honouring its valid commercial obligations while vigorously protecting its intellectual property, trademarks, technologies and customers worldwide." That statement, reported by Glass Canada, signals that the company will challenge unauthorized uses of its brand in architecture, even when those uses come from a former licensee.
For the Canadian market, where Vitro glass is often specified in commercial and institutional projects, the licence termination is a reminder that product names carry performance and provenance. A submittal that lists Solarban or Starphire should be traceable to Vitro or an authorized fabricator. Otherwise, the project team may be comparing coatings that were not made under the same quality controls or performance validation.
How to respond to the announcement
Vitro’s public request gives Canadian specifiers and contractors a clear checklist. First, confirm that any Solarban or Starphire product on the project is supplied through a Vitro-authorized channel. Second, if a product is represented as Vitro-licensed or PPG-licensed, ask for current authorization documentation. Third, if a Jinjing product is marketed under those names, contact your Vitro representative.
The company asks for product details, project location, quotes, brochures, screenshots or other correspondence when making a report. Keeping a record of these materials can help resolve a substitution or false claim before the glass is installed. In a Canadian project, early verification can avoid disputes over warranty coverage and building envelope performance later.
Because the automotive relationship is unaffected, Canadian automotive glass fabricators or suppliers who work with Jinjing under those agreements are outside the scope of this termination. The announcement offers no indication that automotive coating technologies are in dispute.
Unanswered questions
The article does not say when Vitro first alerted Canadian partners, how many projects may be affected in Canada, or what enforcement steps Vitro will take beyond asking for reports. It also does not include a response from Jinjing or indicate whether the companies dispute the scope of the termination. The January 2025 effective date is noted, but the announcement does not explain why the architectural licensing ended while automotive relationships continue.
Canadian glaziers may wonder whether existing inventory of Jinjing architectural glass already in the Canadian supply chain needs to be removed. The announcement does not address that question, and Vitro has not said whether it will pursue distributors holding such inventory.
What is clear is that Vitro has drawn a hard line around its architectural glass trademarks. Canadian glaziers and specifiers who rely on Solarban or Starphire in their specifications should treat any non-Vitro authorization claim as invalid until verified. The absence of further details in the announcement does not reduce the practical obligation to check product provenance before approving a submittal.