German Court Rules in Favor of Teradyne Robotics
In February, Teradyne Robotics A/S, a subsidiary of Teradyne Inc. took legal action in Germany against Elite Robots’ German subsidiary, Elite Robots Deutschland GmbH for copyright infringement of Universal Robots’ software. The Regional Court of Hamburg issued a preliminary injunction against Elite Robots Germany.
According to the court’s decision, Elite Robots Germany is immediately prohibited from offering or distributing the infringing software and all products containing this software in Germany until further notice. Elite Robots Germany is also obligated to provide comprehensive information about the infringing acts it has committed and disclose information about the customers it has supplied.
Teradyne Robotics said it intends to take legal action against Elite Robots’ distributors and partners if they continue to offer the infringing software.
“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,” Teradyne Robotics Group President Jean-Pierre Hathout said. “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 the industrial future, he added.
“We cannot passively allow companies to unlawfully copy protected technologies,” he said. “This not only hampers research and innovation but also undermines customer experience and confidence.”
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