Construction equipment company Caterpillar and rival Doosan Bobcat open new tabs in Texas federal court on April 7, 2026, accusing Bobcat of infringing several patents related to improving earthmoving machinery.
Caterpillar brought the counterclaims, opens new tab in response to patent lawsuits filed by Bobcat last year over the companies' construction equipment. Caterpillar has separately denied those allegations.
"We pride ourselves on our continued advancement and investments in innovation to support our customers’ toughest challenges and have a right to protect our intellectual property," a Caterpillar spokesperson said.
Bobcat, which specializes in compact construction equipment, was founded in North Dakota as Melroe Manufacturing Co. in 1947 and acquired by South Korea-based Doosan in 2007. It claims in lawsuits filed in Texas federal court, at the U.S. International Trade Commission and in Europe that Caterpillar copied Bobcat's "skid-steer loader" technology for compact machinery.
Irving, Texas-based Caterpillar responded on Tuesday that Bobcat's loaders and excavators infringe its patents, and that Bobcat studied and copied its technology as part of a "competitive intelligence" program. Caterpillar asked the court for an unspecified amount of monetary damages.
The case is Doosan Bobcat North America Inc v. Caterpillar Inc, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, No. 2:25-cv-01184.
