Patent Dispute Settled Between Rockwell Automation and Beckhoff Automation

Rockwell Automation granted Beckhoff Automation a license to more than a dozen U.S. and European linear motor patents. The license agreement between the two companies settled a patent infringement litigation amicably.

Rockwell Automation's linear motor business, including its recent Jacobs Automation acquisition, has developed a substantial portfolio of patents comprising over 100 issued patents on linear motor technology alone.Beckhoff will market and sell the XTS System worldwide with the exception of the U.S., where Beckhoff under the terms of the license agreement will delay market entry until June 30, 2019.  However, Beckhoff customers outside the U.S. who purchase and integrate an XTS into their machines are permitted to sell those integrated systems through their respective sales channels into the U.S. subject to the license terms.