Stratasys vs Bambu Lab: What the $27.6 Million Verdict Means for You
On September 17, 2026, a federal jury in Marshall, Texas found that Bambu Lab infringed four patents owned by Stratasys, one of the oldest companies in 3D printing. The jury awarded Stratasys $27.6 million and found that the infringement was willful. Judge Rodney Gilstrap signed the final judgment the next day, September 18. If you own a Bambu printer or plan to buy one, nothing changes for you right now. Here is where things stand as of November 3, 2026.
What the Jury Decided
Stratasys filed two cases against Bambu in the Eastern District of Texas in August 2024, and this was the first to reach a verdict. According to the judgment, the jury found that Bambu infringed six claims across four patents, and that Bambu had not proven any of those claims invalid. The money breaks down like this:
- $14.2 million for US Patent 9,421,713, which covers purge towers (the extra tower a printer builds to clean out the old color when it switches filaments)
- $10.6 million for US Patent 7,555,357, which covers toolpaths that fill small gaps inside a layer
- $2.8 million combined for US Patents 9,168,698 and 10,556,381, which cover force detection, like sensing when the nozzle touches the bed
BambuHub’s breakdown of Stratasys’ complaint lists the X1, P1, and A1 series as the printers at issue, with the A1 and A1 mini tied to the force detection patents. The complaint did not name the H2 series, P2S, X2D, or A2L, although the court later let Stratasys add newer products to its case, and that list has not been made public.
No Sales Ban
The judgment orders Bambu to pay money, as a running royalty that goes back as far as May 2022, plus interest. It does not stop Bambu from selling printers. Even with the willful finding, the judge declined to increase the damages, and the judgment denies every other pending request. Bambu’s printers are still on sale in the US today, and we have not seen any recall, firmware change, or removed feature tied to the case.
Bambu told 3D Printing Industry that “while we respect the judicial process, we disagree with the verdict reached in this case,” and that it “intends to avail itself” of post-trial review and appeal. Stratasys told TCT Magazine it “greatly appreciates the jury’s careful consideration of this case.”
The Patent Office Weighs In
About two weeks after the verdict, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), which is part of the US Patent and Trademark Office, issued decisions in four reviews that Bambu’s parent company had filed. In late September and early October, the board found the challenged claims in four Stratasys patents unpatentable as obvious, according to 3D Printing Industry. Two of them are the force detection patents from the trial, including claim 10 of the ’698 patent, which the jury found infringed. Those two patents make up the $2.8 million part of the verdict. The other two belong to the second lawsuit.
This does not erase the verdict on its own. Courts and the PTAB use different standards of proof, Stratasys can appeal, and claims are only cancelled once the appeals are over. The two patents behind most of the money are a different story. The PTAB upheld the purge tower patent in June 2026, and Bambu has appealed that decision to the Federal Circuit. The toolpath patent is under a separate reexamination, and it expires in March 2027.
Europe: The H2C Stays on Sale
Stratasys also went after the H2C in Europe. On April 24, 2026, the Hague Local Division of the Unified Patent Court refused Stratasys’ request for a provisional injunction that would have blocked H2C sales, based on its European purge tower patent (EP2964450). According to Makers101’s summary of the order, the court read the patent as covering purge tower layers made of a single material, while the H2C can print two materials in the same layer. Bambu says Stratasys did not appeal, and Bambu has a separate case asking the court to cancel that patent.
What Happens Next
Post-trial motions in the Texas case were due October 16, 2026, and we have not seen a ruling on them yet. After that, either side can appeal to the Federal Circuit. The second US lawsuit does not have a trial date. It includes a patent on reading tagged filament, like the RFID tags on Bambu spools, although the PTAB has now found the challenged claims of that patent unpatentable too. Stratasys can still appeal those new PTAB decisions.
Does This Affect You?
For owners, no. The judgment is a money dispute between the companies, and it does not reach a printer that is already on your desk. For buyers, there is no sales ban, so you can buy any Bambu printer as usual, including during the Black Friday sale that runs until December 1st. The one thing to watch is the second case, which is still open. We will update this post if anything changes.
All in all, Stratasys won the first round in Texas, but the result is a bill for Bambu, not a ban, and the patent office has already knocked out the claims behind part of it. If you were planning to buy a printer like the new H3C, this case is not a reason to wait.
Last checked November 3, 2026. Sources: the Texas judgment (Case 2:24-cv-00644-JRG), TCT Magazine, 3DPrint.com, 3D Printing Industry on the verdict and the PTAB rulings, Makers101 on the UPC order, and BambuHub.