Ownership in the Age of Printable Goods: The Collision Between 3D Printing and Intellectual Property

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OWNERSHIPINTHEAGEOFPRINTABLEGOODS:THECOLLISION
BETWEEN3DPRINTINGANDINTELLECTUALPROPERTY
LOUIS-PIERREGRAVELLE*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

Just10yearsago,thesemanticwebchangedhowwecollected,connectedand
interpreteddatatoaddlayersofcontexttoourlives.Itaddedcontexttoandchanged
everythingabouthowwecustomizedtheworldofinformation.

Now3Dprintinghasthepotentialtoeclipsethisshiftwithtangibleobjectcreation,
iteration,andréplication.Imaginedownloadingandprintingapairofeyeglassesthat
areanexactfitforyourface.Withthismassivedisruption,wehavetremendous
opportunities,andpotentiallyproblematicIPissues.

3DPrinting:ThingsonDemand
3Dprinting(oradditivemanufacturing)isanoldmethodofmanufacturingpowered
byanewwayofacquiringandassemblingmanufacturinginstructions.

Ifyouhaveanobjectyou’dliketoreplicate,youscanitwitha3Dscanner.The
resultingimageisthen“sliced”todigitallycreateaschematicfora3Dprinterto
replicatethoseslicesinamedium(usuallymoltenplasticoraplastic-likeproduct,
butothermaterialscanbeused,includingmetalsandevenfoodingredients)by
buildingsuccessivelayersofthatmediumuntilareplicaisachieved.

Thismeansyoucancreateatool,uploadtheschematictotheweb,andpeople
anywhereintheworldwithaccessto3Dprinterscanreplicateyourproductquickly
andaccurately.
Whilethisholdsunlimitedpotentialforsharingengineeringandmanufacturingideas,
muchlikethemediaindustriesoftheearly2000s,thisposesdeepandsometimes
troublingquestionsaboutownershipandIP.
WhatHappensWhenYouCanDownloadAnyItemYouWant?

©CIPS,2016.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheSummer2016(Vol.19,no.4)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.207E.

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Additivemanufacturingisanideamovingtooquickl
yforIPlawtocatchupto.IPlaw
historicallyhasbeenanchoredontheideathatifanideais“protectable”,ithasto
actuallyhaveaphysicalmanifestation.Youcan’tprotecttheideaofastoryabouta
manwhocanfly.Youhavetocreatethecomicbookforthatideaandnameittobe
protected.
3Dprintinginstructionssubvertthisunderstoodmethodofprotectingintellectual
property.
Itfollowsthatelectronicfilesthatcontaininstructionstomakeanobjectareatthe
veryleastprotectableunderprevailingcopyrightregimes.Italsofollowsthat
unauthorizedprintingofanobjectthatisprotectedbyapatent,atrademark,oran
industrialdesign,wouldtriggerinfringementundertheprevailingIPregime.Sowhy
aremanufacturersandretailerssoworried?Control.

Consumergoodsaresubjecttomarketforcesandthewayforeveryoneinthe
supplychaintomakemoneyistoexertcontrolovereverylinkinthechainto
maximizeprofit.Manufacturersmustinvestinfactories,expensivetooling,and
engineersupfront.Theyneedcontroltoensurethattheycanrecouptheirinvestment
andtakehomeprofits.Thisiswhyconsumergoodsaremassproducedinafinite
collectionofcolours,sizesandotheroptions.Limitingchoicehelpsreduce
productioncostsandedgeoutmoreprofit.
3DPrintingThreatenstheManufacturingIndustrialComplex

3Dprintingistheantithesisofmassproduction.Footorthoses,eyewearframes,
clothes,figurinescanallbecustomizedtomeettheendclient’sneeds.Theonly
investmentrequiredistimetomanipulatetheelectronicfile.3Dprintingdoesnot
requiremassiveinvestmentinmanufacturingcapabilities.3Dprintershavebeen
comingdowninpricesteadilyandconsumermodelsaregettingbetter.Eventhe
mostexpensive3Dprinter,adaptedtoprintmetalisstillcheaperthanthecostto
buildmanufacturingtools.Allyouneedtoproducecustomeyeglassframesisa3D
printer,agoodcomputertohandletheelectronicfileandtherawmaterial.Noneed
toshipcontainersfullofthingshalfwayaroundtheworld:haveafewprintershandy,
accesstotherawmaterial,andvoilà!Youhaveyourownfactory.

ThisdecentralizationoffabricationiswhereIPcollideswith3Dprinting.Ifyou’re
Apple,andacompanystartsmakinganidenticalproducttoyoursonalargescale,
it’seasytomountacaseofIPinfringementagainstthem.Ifsomeonemadeapink
versionofyourredeyeglassframessomewhereintheworld,howwouldyouknow,
andhowcouldyoueffectivelyassertaclaimofIPinfringementagainstthem?Does
thissetupaprecedentthatifsmallindividualcaseslikethoseeyeglasseshappenin
adecentralizedway,doIPrightsholdershavealosingbattleontheirhands?

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Theownerwouldnotbeabletoassertitsrightaga
instthemanufacturerofthe
printeritself,astherelikelyisnodirectorindirectinfringement.Youthenhaveto
assertyourrightagainstindividuals,andthemusicindustryisaposterchildforwhat
nottodointhatcase.
Likethemusicindustry,IPownersareinvestingindigitalprotectionmeasures(DRM,
ordigitalrightsmanagement)toinsurethatonlyauthorizedorlicensedindividuals
areabletoprintfromtheinstructions.Regardlessofwhereafilewasobtained,only
rightsholderswillbeabletomanufacture.Othermethods,suchasencodinga
uniquemarkerintheobjectasitisbeingprinted,wouldresultinobjectsthatcanbe
authenticated;objectsnotincludingthemarkerwouldthusnotbe“authentic”.

A3DPrinterinEveryGarage?
Fearsofmassiveinfringementrestontheexpectationthateveryonewillpossessa
3Dprinterathome.3Dprintershavedisadvantagesthatformanyoutweighthe
possiblebenefits.Noteveryonewantsa3Dprinter,hastheskilltooperateit,or
wantstherelativelylowqualityobjectsthataffordablemachinesproduce.Thereis
timeforthelawtocatchuptotheadoptionofthesedevices.IPwillstillbealiveand
kickingforafewdecadesstill.Manufacturingobjectswithtraditionalmethodsorwith
3Dprintingdoesn’t,intheshortterm,changeverymuchwhenitcomestoIP.

TheUpsideof3DPrinting:RapidEngineeringIterationandMedical
Breakthroughs

Recently,majoraerospacemanufacturershaveannouncedthat3Dprintinghas
movedbeyondrapidprototypingintoproduction.Forexample,Airbushasover1000
partsthatare3DprintedintheA350XWB.Masscustomizationisoneareathatis
rapidlydeveloping.Sols,aNewYork-basedcompany,offerscustomorthotics
customizedtotheuser’sfeet.Eyewearisbeingfittedandstyledtotheindividual.
Shoes,dressesandotherwearableshavebeencommerciallyprintedusing3D
printers.Housesmadeofconcretecanbebuiltin24hours,withtheconduitsfor
electricity,plumbingandHVACembeddedatthetimeofmanufacture.

Inthemedicalfield,3Dprintedtitaniumimplantsareroutinelybeingimplantedin
patients.Dentistryisonefieldinparticularthatmakesextensiveuseof3Dprinters.
Althoughwearenotyetabletoprintafullyfunctioningorgan,3Dprintershavebeen
usedtoprintskininsituintheoperatingroom,tohelpburnpatients.3Dprintersare
alsousedtocreatemodelsofinternalstructures,allowingthesurgeontobetter
prepareforsurgery.
Mathematicalmodellingofobjects,“slicing”oftheobject,andallofthecomponents
of3Dprintersareundergoingconstantinnovation.Muchresearchisbeing
conductednowontherawmaterialsusedin3Dprinting–metalpowders,filaments,

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nanostructures,andevenfood.Everythingweuseco
uldeventuallyberefinedusing
thesediscoveries.
CanadaCouldHarnessthisNewManufacturingParadigm

Canada’shistoryofnaturalresourcesminingandproductionanditsbraintrustof
engineersandtechinnovatorscanhelpmakeCanadabecomealeaderinthe
developmentofmetalpowders,ceramicsandothermaterialsusedin3Dprinters.
Canadahasthebuildingblockstoencouragestudentsandresearcherstodevelop
moreefficientmodelsforanalyzing3Dstructures,andprintingthem.Bothinitiatives
wouldalsoenableCanadianentrepreneurstobuildvaluableIPportfolios.

3Dprintingprovidesundeniableadvantagesandfeaturesthatcannotbeeasily
achievedwithtraditionalmanufacturingmethods.Therearedownsides,notably
whenitcomestoproductliabilityforanobjectprintedoutsideofthecontrolledsupply
chain.Thetechnologyisheretostay,andisbecomingmainstream.Wehavethe
runwaytomakethenecessaryadjustmentstotoexistingframeworks,particularlyIP.
Theworldchangingpotentialof3Dprintingfaroutweighspotentiallegalhurdleson
thehorizon.

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Pourdesservicesdeconseilsdansledomainedelapropriété
intellectuelleetdestechnologiesdel’informationetdescommunications
(incluantlesservicesd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommerce)
demêmequedesservicesjuridiques.

ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriété
intellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèles
utilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellations
d’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetde
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pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howet
concurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;commerce
électronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéet
étiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit.ROBIC,
agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892to
theprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,
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indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;
biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-
how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnology
transfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityand
labelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence.
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Forservicespertainingtointellectualproperty,technologyand
communicationlawandrelatedmatters(includingpatentandtrade-mark
agencyservices)aswellaslegalservices.

ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
commercevouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriété
intellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèles
utilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellations
d’origine;droitsd’auteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetde
l’artisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,
pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howet
concurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;commerce
électronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéet
étiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit.ROBIC,

7

agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892to
theprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,
industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;
biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-
how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnology
transfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityand
labelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence.
®/MD

COPYRIGHTER
TM/MC

IDEASLIVEHERE
®/MD

ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
®/MD

LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
®/MD

LEGERROBICRICHARD
®/MD

NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
®/MD

PATENTER
®/MD

orstylizedR
®/MD

ROBIC®/
MD

orstylizedROBIC++++
®/MD

orstylizedROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
®/MD

orstylizedROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
®/MD

THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TM/MC

TRADEMARKER
TM/MC

VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDE
LAPLANÈTE
®/MD

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