IP Law and 3D Printing: Designers Can Work Around Lack of Cover
[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is a good, short, level-headed assessment of the future of IP Law in the context of 3D printing.]
Existing intellectual property laws don’t exactly cover 3D printing. Intellectual property rights holders should become aware of the risks and secure the rights they have, but also look at other creative ways to discourage unauthorized 3D printing.
3D printing will test U.S. intellectual property laws, just as software, MP3 players, and the Internet did. People adapted and need to do so again. IP laws are notoriously slow to change, so rights holders should not look to Congress for help anytime soon. It is time to explore other options.
Despite the somewhat challenging IP enforcement landscape, product designers should consider three approaches to protect their work moving forward:
- Innovate rather than protect
- Procure IP rights and actively enforce
- Use technology to your advantage
See the full story here: http://www.wired.com/insights/2013/09/ip-law-and-3d-printing-designers-can-work-around-lack-of-cover/