WHOSE PROBLEM IS IT?
If you make a tool and sell it to someone who goes on to break the law, should you be held responsible?
Let’s start by getting the question right. The wrong question is, “Will 3D printers be used to infringe copyright, trademark, and patents?” The answer to that is an emphatic and unequivocal yes. The right question is “Whose problem will this be?”
Whether you’re making printers; distributing plans for printers; hosting a site for model files; printing things that people bring you; or even processing payments° for 3D prints, printers, or feedstock, you are a potential target for people who are upset about their copyrights, patents, and trademarks.
In 1976, Sony got sued for unleashing the first VCR ...
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