Boston Dynamics says it asked Ghost Robotics to reexamine Spot-related patents in July 2020, five months after the Spirit 40 launched. After that, Boston claims it sent two cease-and-desist letters asking the Ghost to stop marketing its canine robots. So Ghost was well aware of what he was doing, according to the lawsuit. We’ve reached out to Ghost Robotics for comment. In a statement, Boston Dynamics claimed to be “welcome[s] competition,” but will fight companies that infringe on its intellectual property rights. The Hyundai-owned company is seeking unspecified damages as part of the lawsuit. Such a lawsuit is not unexpected. Boston Dynamics initially focused on research, but increasingly turned to commercializing robots like Spot and Stretch. Rivals like Ghost Robotics could pose threats to the still-young Boston business, whether or not they copy technology in the process. Even if the suit fails, it could prevent other companies from building their own robot dogs. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at time of publication.
