Teradyne unit Common Robots not too long ago displayed its cell manipulator with a UR cobot arm at MODEX. Supply: Teradyne
Because the Hannover Messe commerce present started in Germany this week, the Regional Courtroom of Hamburg has issued a preliminary injunction in opposition to Elite Robots Deutschland GmbH as Teradyne Robotics A/S sues it for copyright infringement.
Teradyne Robotics, a subsidiary of Teradyne Inc., had begun authorized proceedings in opposition to Elite Robots’ Germany subsidiary final month. It had already despatched a cease-and-desist letter accusing the Chinese language force- and power-limited robotic maker of infringing on the proprietary software program of Common Robots A/S, a Teradyne unit and cobot market chief.
âAt Teradyne Robotics, now we have chosen to take a stand in opposition to any rivals copying our proprietary {hardware} or software program design, and we’re after all happy with this ruling,â acknowledged Jean-Pierre Hathout, president of the Teradyne Robotics Group. âWe imagine now we have irrefutable proof of copyright infringement and, whereas this isn’t a remaining ruling from the court docket, it’s a clear indication that now we have a really sturdy case.â
Teradyne screens infringement risk
“The rationale we began trying into that is due to growing competitors from a number of small firms,” David Brandt, vice chairman of analysis and growth and the chief know-how officer at Odense, Denmark-based Common Robots, informed The Robotic Report.
David Brandt, CTO of Common Robots. Supply: LinkedIn
“There are lots of low-cost variants of collaborative robots getting into the market,” he famous. “A kind of we checked out was from Elite, and it was clear that it appeared very very similar to our personal. Our staff within the U.S. appeared on the software program, and it was one thing very near our software program of their robots.”
“We imagine now we have sturdy proof,” Brandt added. “We’re not doing this as a result of we’re in opposition to wholesome competitors; that is about stealing know-how. We welcome competitors, which makes us all attempt to be higher, however competing in opposition to firms with our personal know-how crosses the road.”
Brandt informed Danish newspaper BĂžrsen that Elite Robots included a setting that allowed customers to disable security settings. Teradyne Robotics has warned security authorities in Denmark, Germany, and the U.S.
The Robotic Report has reached out to Elite Robots, nevertheless it has not but responded. Based in 2016, the Shanghai firm has expanded into Western markets and claimed to have greater than 10,000 deployments throughout greater than 35 international locations, in addition to over 200 patents and IP belongings.
Courtroom orders Elite Robots to offer info
Based on the court docketâs determination, Elite Robots Germany is straight away prohibited from providing or distributing the infringing software program and all merchandise containing this software program in Germany till additional discover. Teradyne attorneys have reportedly requested the company to close down its exhibit at Hannover Messe.
As well as, the court docket ordered Elite Robots Germany to offer complete details about the infringing acts it has dedicated and to reveal details about the purchasers it has equipped. No court docket date has but been set.
Teradyne Robotics stated it intends to take authorized motion in opposition to Elite Robotsâ distributors and companions in the event that they proceed to supply the infringing software program.
âAutomation and innovation are vital to our industrial future,” stated Hathout. “We can’t passively enable firms to unlawfully copy protected applied sciences. This not solely hampers analysis and innovation, but additionally undermines buyer expertise and confidence.”
“Teradyne Robotics stays absolutely dedicated to defending our mental property and to making sure automation clients have entry to the protected, revolutionary, and high-quality options they deserve,â he added.
Teradyne claims that Elite Robots’ cobots and software program are similar to its personal. Supply: Elite Robots
Authorized disputes escalate as competitors intensifies
As international competitors intensifies in robotics and AI, it’s no shock that mental property disputes have elevated. As an illustration, at LogiMAT final month, Ocado called German police to close down Brightpick‘s sales space underneath an injunction for alleged patent infringement.
Elite Robots lined its cobot at Hannover Messe. Credit score: The Robotic Report supply
Nonetheless, the authorities didn’t discover any violations, and Brightpick was in a position to show its cell choosing robots with out incident for the rest of that occasion and at MODEX final week. Ocado had settled one other patent dispute with AutoStore in 2023.
In February 2026, a Chinese language court docket dismissed Luweimei Co.’s claims in opposition to legged robotic maker Unitree. Additionally in legged robots, Boston Dynamics final 12 months resolved a patent lawsuit with Ghost Robotics.
In lots of of those instances, firms in several international locations have accused each other of copying mental property.
“Teradyne Robotics has been hit onerous by weak development in European industrial manufacturing, which contracted by 2.5% in 2024,” famous BĂžrsen. “The corporate misplaced 15.5% of its income final 12 months, on turnover of roughly DKK 2 billion [$310 million U.S.].”
Whereas the put in base of business robots has fallen in Europe and the U.S., in accordance with the Worldwide Federation of Robotics (IFR), greater than half of all robots put in in 2024 had been in China. The VDMA Robotics + Automation Association in February warned that Germany is falling behind in robotics.
The put up German court docket guidelines in favor of Teradyne Robotics, points injunction in opposition to Elite Robots appeared first on The Robotic Report.
