Teradyne Sues Chinese Cobot Maker Over UR Software Theft

IP Battle in the Cobot Market

Teradyne, the parent company of Universal Robots, has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese collaborative robot manufacturer, alleging that the company copied proprietary software from Universal Robots to develop its own competing cobot products. The case represents one of the most significant intellectual property disputes in the rapidly growing collaborative robotics market and highlights escalating tensions between established Western robotics firms and Chinese competitors.

Universal Robots, based in Denmark, is widely credited with creating the collaborative robot category when it introduced its first cobot arm in 2008. The company's UR series robots have become the industry standard in many applications, and its software platform, Polyscope, is considered one of the most user-friendly robot programming interfaces available. Teradyne acquired Universal Robots in 2015 for $285 million.

The Allegations

According to the lawsuit, the Chinese manufacturer obtained access to Universal Robots' proprietary software code and used it as the foundation for its own robot control system. Teradyne alleges that code analysis reveals substantial similarities between the defendant's software and Polyscope that go beyond what could be explained by independent development or common industry practices.

The complaint identifies specific software modules, programming interfaces, and control algorithms that Teradyne claims were copied. In the robotics industry, software is often more valuable than hardware because it determines how easily a robot can be programmed, how reliably it performs tasks, and how well it integrates with existing automation systems. Polyscope's ease of use has been a key competitive advantage for Universal Robots, allowing non-expert users to program complex tasks through an intuitive interface.

Teradyne is seeking injunctive relief to prevent the continued sale of products using the allegedly stolen software, as well as monetary damages. The company has also requested that the court order the defendant to destroy all copies of the proprietary code in its possession.

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IP Protection Challenges

Protecting software intellectual property across international boundaries is notoriously difficult, particularly when the alleged infringement occurs in China. While China has strengthened its IP protection framework in recent years, enforcement remains inconsistent, and the legal process for cross-border IP disputes is complex and time-consuming.

Software IP is particularly challenging to protect because code can be obfuscated, refactored, or partially rewritten to obscure its origins while retaining the functional logic and architecture of the original. Proving that software was copied rather than independently developed requires detailed forensic analysis and expert testimony, and even then, courts may disagree about where the line between inspiration and infringement lies.

For robotics companies, the stakes are high. The software that controls a robot, manages its safety systems, and provides the programming interface represents years of development effort and millions of dollars in R&D investment. If competitors can simply copy this software and undercut prices without bearing the development costs, the incentive to invest in original innovation is undermined.