Printer’s IP and patent rights?
I’m a bit of a maker, and for a good while now I’ve thought about getting into printing for the fun of it and to see where my ideas go. Recently, I’ve had an idea for what I think would be a marketable piece that would serve as an add-on accessory to current woodworking power tools. Although similar to what’s already out there, my version would be a significant enough improvement on current forms that I’m sure it would qualify for protection.
So, being new to this field of small time manufacturing, I’m wondering about what kind of protections are offered to 3D-printed products that are already out there but may not necessarily have patent protection, as that’s where I’ll be entering the field. I’ll be looking into IP and patent protection asap, but in the meantime, if I put something out there, what’s to stop someone from just scanning my new products and putting it out for themselves without having done the hard work and analysis that goes into designing such a piece?
RE: Printer’s IP and patent rights?
Absolutely nothing.
RE: Printer’s IP and patent rights?
Absolutely nothing.
Large companies have means to protect IP. Private individuals have a hard time. See the story on intermittent windshield wipers. Even when you put something on Printables.com, someone may mod it or clone it and upload without referencing the original. I saw one mod where they just put their name on the item.
RE: Printer’s IP and patent rights?
All you can do is hope the field you're targeting is too small to be attractive for those guys.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
and upload without referencing the original.
Or upload it to another site for rewards, sometimes pay-for-downloads sites, sometimes they just print multiple copies and sell them on Etsy or elsewhere and last year I found a stall at an open air market selling 3D printed vases and dragons that I recognised; I asked how he got permission and was told 'The designs are free on the internet' - when I checked at home they were indeed free - on a Creative commons attribution, non commercial, no remix, licence.
If you look through certain Chinese manufacturer's 'free' designs sites you will recognise many prints that, if you find the original on Printables or Thingiverse, are ignoring licences and attribution.
If you post it you must assume you have lost all control of it.
Cheerio,