Cobot IP Fight: What the Universal Robots Ruling Means for U.S. Manufacturers
A German court today has issued a temportary court order against Elite Robots Deutschland GmbH (Elite Robots Germany), barring the China-based cobot maker's German subsidiary from offering or distributing software which is alleged to infringe on Universal Robots' propietary software, and any products containing that software, in Germany. The ruling took effect immediately.
Terdayne Robotics vs. Elite Robots Germany
Teradyne Robotics, the parent company of Universal Robots, filed a lawsuit in February against Elite Robots Germany for copyright infringement following a prior cease-and-desist letter.
Under the court's order, Elite Robots Germany is also required to disclose details about the infringing acts it committed, including the identity of customers it supplied. Teradyne Robotics has stated it intends to pursue legal action against Elite Robots' distributors and partners if they continue offering the infringing software. The ruling is preliminary and does not constitute a final judgment.
When the action was first filed in February, Jean-Pierre Hathout, President of the Teradyne Robotics Group, said: "This decisive step underscores our commitment to protecting intellectual property and ensuring automation customers have access to the safe and high-quality solutions they deserve. Both automation and innovation are critical to Europe's future. We will not allow the products of companies that unlawfully copy protected technologies to compromise customer experience, the intellectual property of our technology sector, or Europe's industrial future."
Today, Hathout said, "At Teradyne Robotics, we have chosen to take a stand against any competitors copying our proprietary hardware or software design and we are of course pleased with this ruling."
The Software in Question
The lawsuit concerns copyright infringement of Universal Robots' PolyScope 5 software, the operating platform that runs UR cobots and supports the company's extensive ecosystem of third-party peripherals, end-of-arm tooling, and integrations. PolyScope 5 is the foundation through which tens of thousands of UR cobots are programmed and operated worldwide.
We believe we have strong evidence that goes beyond mere visual similarities. We know our software, and at a technical level, their software exhibits striking similarities,
- David Brandt, VP of R&D and CTO, Universal Robots
Who Is Elite Robots?
Elite Robots, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Shanghai, manufactures collaborative robots and has a U.S. office in Knoxville, TN. The company ranks among the top three cobot brands in China and has reportedly deployed more than 10,000 cobots across more than 35 countries. Its German subsidiary, based in Bavaria, serves as its European distribution hub—which is why the action was filed in German courts. Elite Robots has not provided a public statement on the lawsuit.
Teradyne attorneys had been asking the company to shut down its exhibit at Hannover Messe, the major industrial trade show currently underway in Germany. With the court's ruling today, Elite Robots has taken its booth down.
"We believe we have irrefutable evidence of copyright infringement and, while this is not a final ruling from the court, it is a clear indication that we have a very strong case. Automation and innovation are critical to our industrial future. We cannot passively allow companies to unlawfully copy protected technologies. This not only hampers research and innovation but also undermines customer experience and confidence," stated Hathout.
Safety Concerns Beyond the Courtroom
This copyright case is not the only issue Teradyne has brought to light. Teradyne has also alerted European safety authorities to concerns it has about Elite Robots' cobot arms, saying that its cobots may not meet the same safety standards needed for human-robot collaboration on the plant floor. Teradyne argues that these lower-standard products could harm operators, which could erode trust in cobots across the industry, creating risk for the entire category—not just for UR customers.
What It Could Mean for U.S. Manufacturers
The injunction only applies to Germany for now. When asked whether Teradyne plans to pursue legal action in other countries, the company said it "continually evaluates appropriate steps in other jurisdictions but would not speculate on future actions"—adding that it is "determined to protect its IP and will use appropriate legal action wherever it suspects unfair and illegal behavior."
For U.S. manufacturers already using or considering Elite Robots systems, the situation is still worth watching. The German ruling requires the company's local entity to identify customers who received the software in question. Disputes like this can have unintended consequences, affecting distributors, integrators, and end users.
For manufacturers evaluating cobot suppliers, Universal Robots offers a great checklist covering technology ownership, support, and lifecycle considerations:
This case is part of a broader conversation around technology ownership and long-term support. As Universal Robots notes in its supplier guidance, companies that don't own their core technology may have limits in how they support products over the full lifecycle. Legal rulings can lead to software changes, product removal, or supply disruptions—factors that can directly impact production.
For teams standardizing on a cobot platform, those dependencies matter. Integration, updates, and ongoing support are tied closely to the underlying software environment, making supplier stability and IP ownership part of the evaluation, not just upfront cost or performance.
The bigger picture is a tension that's been building across the automation market for years. Chinese cobot manufacturers have moved aggressively into Western markets, offering competitive hardware at prices that are hard for established brands to match. Teradyne is treating this case as a line in the sand—the argument being that if companies can copy protected technology to undercut on price, there's little incentive for anyone to invest in original R&D. Which creates a bigger problem.
About the Author
Laura Davis
Editor-in-Chief, New Equipment Digest
Laura Davis is the editor in chief of New Equipment Digest (NED), a brand part of the Manufacturing Group at EndeavorB2B. NED covers all products, equipment, solutions, and technology related to the broad scope of manufacturing, from mops and buckets to robots and automation. Laura has been a manufacturing product writer for eight years, knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the industry, along with what readers are looking for when wanting to learn about the latest products on the market.