The Bobcat and Caterpillar lawsuit is a patent fight that Doosan Bobcat North America started in December 2025, accusing Caterpillar of copying 14 patented technologies used in skid steers, compact track loaders, excavators, and other compact machines. Caterpillar denied the claims, challenged Bobcat’s patents at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, filed counterclaims accusing Bobcat of running a “competitive intelligence program,” and opened its own patent case in Delaware. The dispute now covers roughly ten separate proceedings in U.S. federal courts, at the U.S. International Trade Commission, and in European courts, and is scheduled to reach a jury in Texas in January 2028.
What Bobcat Is Accusing Caterpillar Of
Bobcat filed its complaint on December 2, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Case No. 2:25-cv-01184), asserting 14 patents against Caterpillar.1CourtListener. Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc. v. Caterpillar Inc. The accused Caterpillar products include skid steers, compact track loaders, excavators, wheel loaders, track loaders, and bulldozers.2ENR. Doosan Bobcat Sues Caterpillar, Alleges Infringement of 14 Equipment Patents
The technologies at issue cover automated hydraulic-drive shifting, variable engine speed control, hydraulic power prioritization, a system for defining operating zones for a lift arm, tracked utility vehicle designs, remote joystick control that Bobcat sells as “Sticksteer,” and geofencing safety software Bobcat markets as “E-fence.”2ENR. Doosan Bobcat Sues Caterpillar, Alleges Infringement of 14 Equipment Patents The asserted patents include U.S. Patent Nos. 9,382,925, 10,464,619, 10,494,788, 10,934,687, 10,302,027, 10,934,684, 8,047,760, 7,831,364, and 8,364,356.3Law360. Bobcat Says Caterpillar Reverse-Engineered Loader Parts
The most pointed allegation is not that Caterpillar’s engineers happened to arrive at the same design. Bobcat claims Caterpillar’s “new product introduction process” involves tearing down rival machines, converting the findings into CAD drawings that look cosmetically different from the originals, and shipping products that use the same underlying innovations.2ENR. Doosan Bobcat Sues Caterpillar, Alleges Infringement of 14 Equipment Patents The complaint pointedly notes that Bobcat brought its skid-steer loader to market in 1962 while Caterpillar did not enter the skid-steer segment until roughly 1999, calling Caterpillar a “late arrival” that borrowed from competitors instead of innovating.4KFGO. Doosan Bobcat Suing Caterpillar for Patent Infringement
Why a Caterpillar Dealer Is Also a Defendant
Bobcat named Holt Texas, Ltd., doing business as the Holt Group, as a co-defendant alongside Caterpillar. Holt is the largest Caterpillar dealer in Texas and has locations in the Eastern District, including Tyler and Kilgore. Bobcat alleges Holt induces infringement by selling and supporting the accused Caterpillar machines and by distributing user manuals and promotional materials that walk customers through the allegedly infringing features.5ExParte AI Lab. Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc. v. Caterpillar, Inc. – Complaint Analysis Holt and Caterpillar share legal counsel.1CourtListener. Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc. v. Caterpillar Inc.
What Bobcat Is Asking For
Bobcat wants damages large enough to compensate for the alleged infringement, including lost profits and attorney’s fees, an accounting with an ongoing royalty for any post-verdict use of the technology, and a permanent injunction that would bar Caterpillar from making, using, selling, or importing the accused products.2ENR. Doosan Bobcat Sues Caterpillar, Alleges Infringement of 14 Equipment Patents No specific dollar figure has been disclosed publicly.
On the same day it filed in Texas, Bobcat also filed a Section 337 complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission. The ITC opened Investigation No. 337-TA-1473 on January 2, 2026. The ITC complaint asserts four of the 14 patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 7,831,364; 8,047,760; 8,364,356; and 10,934,684) and asks for a limited exclusion order and cease-and-desist order that would block imports of the accused Caterpillar equipment.6Federal Register. Certain Skid-Steer Loaders, Compact Track Loaders, Excavators, Wheel Loaders, Dozers, and Components Eight members of Congress wrote to the commission arguing that an import ban on Caterpillar machines would harm U.S. industry, and Bobcat urged the ITC to disregard those letters.7Law360. Bobcat, Caterpillar, Lawmakers Spar Over Possible Import Ban
How Caterpillar Has Fought Back
Caterpillar has responded on several tracks. On February 27, 2026, it filed requests for ex parte reexamination at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office aimed at five of the asserted Bobcat patents (Nos. 10,464,619; 10,494,788; 9,382,925; 10,934,687; and 10,302,027), arguing those patents “should not have been issued because they attempt to lay claim to technology that was already known to the public.”8ENR. Caterpillar Challenges Doosan Bobcat Patent Lawsuit, Alleges Industrial Espionage
On March 24, 2026, Caterpillar filed amended counterclaims in the Texas case alleging that Bobcat infringes Caterpillar patents covering energy distribution systems in loaders and excavators, advanced power management for fuel efficiency, and automatic attachment-leveling technology for compact track loaders and skid steers.8ENR. Caterpillar Challenges Doosan Bobcat Patent Lawsuit, Alleges Industrial Espionage Caterpillar also added Berry Companies, Inc., doing business as Bobcat of North Texas, as a counterclaim defendant.9ENR. Caterpillar Countersues in Patent Fight With Doosan Bobcat
The “Bobcat Advantage” Accusation
The most colorful piece of Caterpillar’s counterattack is its claim that Bobcat ran a “competitive intelligence program” to study and copy Caterpillar’s patented technology. Caterpillar points to a now-defunct website, bobcatadvantage.com, that once carried head-to-head video comparisons of Bobcat and Caterpillar equipment. The site now resolves to a blank page, and Caterpillar has submitted the underlying source code as evidence of what was once displayed.10Equipment World. Caterpillar Countersues Bobcat, Alleging Patent Infringement Caterpillar calls the alleged infringement by Bobcat “willful, intentional, and deliberate.”8ENR. Caterpillar Challenges Doosan Bobcat Patent Lawsuit, Alleges Industrial Espionage
Bobcat denied in its filings that its patents were connected to the Bobcat Advantage website. Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America, said at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show in March 2026 that the matter is a standard patent dispute that will “work its way through the courts” and would not affect Bobcat’s product plans. In January 2026, Caterpillar publicly argued that Bobcat’s ITC actions could “undermine the U.S. economy, consumers, workers and businesses” and jeopardize “critical U.S. national priorities.”8ENR. Caterpillar Challenges Doosan Bobcat Patent Lawsuit, Alleges Industrial Espionage
Caterpillar’s Delaware Suit
On May 26, 2026, Caterpillar opened a separate front by suing Doosan Bobcat in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and filing a second ITC complaint.11Equipment World. Caterpillar Sues Bobcat in Ongoing Legal Battle Over Patents The Delaware case asserts four patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 8,515,637; 9,133,837; 9,347,554; and 10,059,341) covering machine-control systems that manage engine power, prevent stalling, smooth out jerky movements, and improve fuel efficiency.12Bloomberg Law. Caterpillar Expands Bobcat Patent Clash With Two New Complaints The accused Bobcat products include the TL519, TL723, and TL923 telehandlers, the E145 and E165 excavators, and the T86 compact track loader, with Caterpillar targeting features such as “ECO-Mode,” “Smart Power Control,” and “Smooth Drive Mode.” Caterpillar is seeking a permanent injunction and damages for lost profits.
The European Cases
Bobcat also opened a second front in Europe, filing five patent infringement proceedings against Caterpillar and Zeppelin, Caterpillar’s European distribution partner. Two cases sit in the Unified Patent Court’s Mannheim Local Division, and three are in the Regional Court Munich. The UPC cases (UPC_CFI_0001810/2025 and UPC_CFI_0001811/2025) involve European patents on a drive control system and an integrated hydraulic or electrical conduit coupler; the Munich cases address off-board control for a power machine, an excavator control system, and a lift-arm operating-zone system. In all five, Bobcat seeks cease-and-desist orders, product recall, destruction of infringing products, and damages.13JUVE Patent. Bobcat Challenges Competitors Caterpillar and Zeppelin With Quinn Emanuel In UPC case 0001810/2025, the defendant filed a counterclaim for revocation of the asserted patent along with a statement of defense on April 23, 2026, and the court has set an oral hearing.14Unified Patent Court. UPC-CFI-0001810/2025
Where the Case Stands
The Texas case is in discovery before U.S. District Judge J. Rodney Gilstrap. A Markman claim construction hearing is set for July 7, 2027, a pretrial conference for December 6, 2027, and jury selection for January 10, 2028. Bobcat filed an answer denying Caterpillar’s counterclaims on May 22, 2026, and the most recent docket entry is an answer to a counterclaim filed on June 12, 2026. The Delaware case is at its earliest stage, and no settlement discussions appear in public filings.1CourtListener. Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc. v. Caterpillar Inc.
All told, the fight spans at least ten separate legal actions across three continents. A Caterpillar spokesperson said the company would “vigorously pursue its claims in court,” while Bobcat’s North American president has described the matter as one that will simply “work its way through the courts.”1525 News. Caterpillar Countersues Doosan Bobcat, Claims Company Studied, Copied Patents
Why the Stakes Are High
The two companies are the top sellers in the U.S. compact-equipment market that sits at the center of the dispute. In the new financed skid-steer segment from May 2025 through April 2026, Bobcat held a 28.2% share (about 2,672 units) and Caterpillar was second at 19.3% (roughly 1,830 units). Caterpillar launched a next-generation skid-steer lineup in August 2024 that highlighted improvements in lift capacity, torque, and operator comfort.16Equipment World. Best-Selling Skid Steers in the US 2025-2026 Rankings Bobcat, meanwhile, became part of the Doosan Group in 2007, was rebranded as Doosan Bobcat Inc. in 2015, and has been listed on South Korea’s KOSPI exchange since 2016.17Doosan Bobcat. History That corporate lineage matters because Caterpillar has publicly framed the litigation as a foreign-owned company threatening American manufacturing, adding a political layer to a patent case that will otherwise be decided on the technical merits of 14 patents in Texas and several more in Delaware, at the ITC, and in Europe.