JAKA Sues Teradyne Over Cobot Patent Dispute

JAKA Robotics has initiated legal action against Teradyne Robotics, seeking injunctive relief over public statements it deems false and damaging. The Chinese cobot maker filed its case in German courts on September 3, 2026, following Teradyne's public announcement of a patent lawsuit the prior week.

According to a press release sent to The Robot Report, JAKA stated it received no direct communication from Teradyne or its legal team regarding the alleged infringement. The company said it learned of the allegations solely through Teradyne's social media announcement and subsequent press inquiries. JAKA's legal advisers verified that as of September 2, no patent infringement proceedings had been filed or opened against the company in any court.

JAKA Rejects Copying Allegations

JAKA firmly rejected any suggestion that it unlawfully copied technology from Universal Robots. The company stated it develops its own products through years of independent research and development. JAKA claims to hold more than 300 granted patents worldwide.

Before entering the European market, JAKA commissioned two independent external Freedom-to-Operate analyses. The company said neither analysis identified potential patent infringement relevant to its market activities. JAKA characterized Teradyne's public statements as an attempt to create "anti-competitive uncertainty" in the market to harm competitors.

Dispute Over Product Quality and Safety

JAKA also pushed back against what it called unsubstantiated claims about its product quality and safety. The company took issue with statements it said linked quality concerns to its Chinese origin, calling them misleading and damaging.

JAKA argued that collaborative robot safety depends on the complete application, including design, integration, configuration, and risk assessment, not the manufacturer's country of origin. The company stated it operates within an international supply chain and applies its own engineering and quality-control processes.

Teradyne's Response

The Robot Report received a response from David Brandt, vice president of research and development and chief technology officer at Universal Robots. Brandt stated, "I can assure you that we have filed the case with the courts in Copenhagen." He suggested any delay in JAKA receiving formal notice was due to court processing times.

Regarding JAKA's freedom-to-operate analyses, Brandt commented, "They have apparently not done a very good job if they failed to identify our patents." He also dismissed the relevance of JAKA's patent count, stating, "This matter concerns their infringement of our patents."

On JAKA's legal action in Germany, Brandt said Teradyne awaits further information but is not concerned, asserting the company's right to defend its intellectual property. JAKA maintains its commitment to customers and partners in Europe, continuing business operations and product development as normal while the legal process unfolds.