If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Teradyne Robotics has had enough compliments for one year.
Teradyne Robotics, the parent company of cobot arm makerUniversal Robots, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against a German subsidiary of Chinese robotics company JAKA. The case alleges that JAKA infringed patents covering both hardware and software used in Universal Robots’collaborative robots.
In April, the Regional Court of Hamburgissued a preliminary injunctionprohibiting Elite Robots Germany from offering the disputed software and products containing it in Germany. The case is still ongoing.
According to Brandt, Teradyne Robotics became interested inJAKA‘s products after noticing similarities between the two companies’ force- and power-limited robot arms.
“Our robots and the robots of JAKA look quite alike,” Brandt said. “We then chose to acquire one of the robots and take a deeper look at it. Then it became quite obvious that there’s possible patent infringement in this.”
Teradyne Robotics said the lawsuit involves a range of JAKA collaborative robots marketed in the European Union. The company filed the case with the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Local Division in Copenhagen because alleged acts of infringement occurred inDenmarkand other EU member states.
A ruling from the UPC could have broad geographic implications. According to Teradyne Robotics, a ruling could take effect across 17 of the 18 EU member states participating in the UPC, as well as in certain countries outside the UPC Agreement, including the U.K. and Spain.
The Robot Reportreached out to JAKA for comment, but did not hear back at press time.
“This case is another clear demonstration that Teradyne Robotics will enforce its patents and intellectual property (IP) rights against what we consider to be illegal and unfair copying and infringement, across both hardware and software,” stated Teradyne Robotics Group President Jean-Pierre Hathout.
“We cannot and will not accept companies that unlawfully copy protected technologies, and we are resolute in safeguarding our IP so customers can continue to have innovative automation solutions that meet the highest standards for safety and compliance,” he added.
UR Series cobots from Universal Robots.
The dispute puts two collaborative robot portfolios under the microscope. Universal Robots currently divides its robot arms primarily between its UR Series and e-Series. The UR Series includes the UR8 Long, UR15, UR18, UR20 and UR30. Payloads range from 10 kg on the UR8 Long to 35 kg on the UR30, while reach extends to 1,750 mm on the UR8 Long and UR20.