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.
2
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?
3
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,
4
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.
5
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ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesde
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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,
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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!
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LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
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NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
®/MD
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