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3-D Printing and Intellectual Property. “The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not .” - Niccolo Machiavelli. What is 3D Printing?.
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3-D Printing and Intellectual Property “The one who adapts his policy to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the demands of the times does not.” - Niccolo Machiavelli
What is 3D Printing? “A process for making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model, typically by laying down many successive thin layers of a material.” Additive vs subtractive manufacturing
Why is everyone talking about it? • The President said it, so it must be important • The unimportant stuff: • Gun control, the global economy, hunger, life saving medical procedures
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Why is everyone talking about it? • The President said it, so it must be important • The unimportant stuff: • Gun control, the global economy, hunger, life saving medical procedures • What really matters: • It’s going to make our jobs more complicated (If it was easy, everyone would do it)
Likely types of transactions Consumers Biz-2-Biz Business buys expensive piece of equipment from a supplier Supplier also includes design files for wearable parts When a part needs replacing, business prints a new one • Consumer wants a widget • Goes online, finds a design file for the widget, downloads it • Prints up the widget in his garage
Where others have gone before • Lessons from the music industry: • Limiting infringement means balancing transaction costs • People are already downloading and printing cars • Don’t sue your customers unless you have to • Lessons from the software industry: • Licensing • Licensing • Licensing
What should our clients be concerned about? • Preventing infringement of their own rights • Technological measures • Legal measures • Avoiding infringing the rights of others • Employee education • Broad cross-licenses
Where do we stand now? • Don’t panic, we’re not there yet • High quality 3D printers are still expensive and hard to use, particularly for consumer purposes • Materials are not yet readily available • … But it’s coming