Doosan Bobcat North America has filed federal and international lawsuits against Caterpillar alleging patent infringement for components on certain skid steers, compact track loaders, excavators, wheel loaders and dozers.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas also names the Holt Cat dealership. It alleges Caterpillar has infringed on the following Bobcat patents:
- “Automated Shifting of Hydraulic Drive Systems” – issued July 5, 2016.
- “Variable Engine Control Speed” – issued May 28, 2019.
- “Tracked Utility Vehicle” – issued November 5, 2019.
- “System and Method for Defining a Zone of Operation for a Lift Arm” – issued December 3, 2019.
- “Hydraulic Power Prioritization” – issued March 2, 2021.
The suit also alleges Caterpillar manufactures the components outside the U.S. and imports them back into the country for sale.
“Bobcat has suffered and continues to suffer substantial damages,” the lawsuit says. The company seeks a jury trial, damages, attorneys’ fees and costs.
Equipment World has reached out to Caterpillar and Holt Cat for comment on the Bobcat complaints filed December 12.
Bobcat Cites Company History
The Keller Self-Propelled LoaderDoosan Bobcat North America
In 1957, Cyril and Louis Keller invented a three-wheel compact loader, which Melroe acquired the exclusive manufacturing rights to in 1958, according to the suit. Melroe also hired the Keller brothers to develop the design, which later evolved into a four-wheel loader that became the first skid steer, the M400, in 1960. The Bobcat name followed in 1962. Bobcat is currently owned by the Doosan Corporation based in South Korean.
Bobcat introduced a compact excavator in 1989, which the suit says was “the only such machine to be manufactured in the United States at the time.”
The company has continued to innovate in the compact equipment segment for 65 years, according to the suit.
“CAT was a late arrival to the skid-steer loader market,” the suit alleges. “It did not begin manufacturing skid-steer loaders until 1999, roughly 40 years after Bobcat created the market. Rather than innovate itself, CAT has chosen to take the innovations of Bobcat to attempt to unfairly compete with Bobcat in the skid-steer and broader compact equipment market. This has unfortunately been a pattern for CAT.”
The lawsuit accuses Caterpillar of taking competitors’ equipment and breaking it down to “develop features that would compete head to head with features on competitive machines.”
Bobcat Details Patents
Along with the lawsuit, Bobcat also filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission. In the complaint it seeks to bar entry of any products with the patents from entering the U.S. and sold here, as well as permanent cease and desist orders concerning the patents. It adds that Bobcat has invested “hundreds of millions of dollars” domestically in relation to the patented products.
The complaint outlines the following patents Bobcat alleges Caterpillar infringed upon:
- Patent 356 – for skid steers and compact track loaders; “a tracking adjustment scheme in which the operator can adjust the maximum output, or set a 'trim,' of a hydraulic pump and/or motor so that the machine travels in a straight line when joysticks used to control the machine are positioned in a positive center position. This prevents variances in the tracking of the machine when operating under conditions or external forces that would otherwise cause the machine to turn.”
- Patent 684 – “methods and systems of controlling an excavator using two user inputs, such as joysticks, in which a user can change the input mode so that the joysticks will behave differently.
- Patent 760 – “a system for managing the hydraulic and electric conduits on a compact track loader or skid-steer loader that are used to provide hydraulic or electrical signals to an attachment.”
- Patent 364 – “provides a scheme for controlling the machine or vehicle using an ‘off-board’ control unit located outside of the cab that receives operating commands for the machine or vehicle and wirelessly transmits the operating commands to an ‘on-board’ control unit mounted to the power machine or vehicle. The operating commands are then received by the ‘on-board’ control unit via a wireless receiver, and transmitted to the power machine or vehicle’s control network, thereby providing wireless control of hydraulic devices on the machine or vehicle.”
Cat Machines Listed
The trade commission complaint lists the following Cat equipment Bobcat alleges infringe upon its patents:
- Next-Generation and previous generation compact track loaders.
- Next-Generation and previous generation skid steers.
- Mini excavators ranging from the 301.5 to the 310.
- Small hydraulic excavators 313, 315, 317.
- Medium hydraulic excavators 320-335.
- Large hydraulic excavators 330, 340, 352.
- Long-reach hydraulic excavators 340 and 352.
- All 300-series excavators equipped with or capable of Stick Steer.
- Forest Machines 528, 538, 548, 558 and 568.
- Cat Command-equipped and compatible products, including CTLs, skid steers, small and medium dozers, wheel loaders, medium and large excavators.
Bobcat has also filed claims against Caterpillar in Europe with the United Patent Court and German District Court. Those complaints also list Caterpillar dealers Caterpillar SARL based in Switzerland and Zeppelin based in Germany.
