Making something from nothing but zeros and ones

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Matters of copying and copyrighting 3D printed objects are some of the main highlights of Michael Weinberg’s panel on 3D printing.  

3D printing is an ever evolving process that takes a scan of a real life object or a computer generated object and brings the object from the realm of virtual-reality to reality.  The process involves creating the computer image into something that you can physically hold, essentially building it from the ground up layer by layer. 

 

The innovation of 3D printing and the issues of copyright, though seeming unrelated, are emerging as an intertwining idea in regards to both understanding both the advancements in 3D printing and the framework of where and how 3D printing will impact the conception of creative licensing.  

“Right now it’s hard to say where 3D printing is going to go,” said Weinberg. “There are a lot plausible futures and form it will take will determine what property issues that will pop up.”

One concerning notion was the attempts of regulating use and delegating how 3D printing innovations should protected by law.  

“It’s very unlikely that the world you imagine today will in fact be the world that manifests itself years from now,” Weinberg said.

What are some of the issues that will come about as more and more people turn to 3D printing as a means to develop and produce items?  How is the regulation of the original design or the original computer design going to be addressed?

As, the accessibility and innovation of 3D printing evolve into the mainstream, communicating and sharing information  about what can be created so too is evolving.  What were limited to just images on a computer screen are now rapidly becoming feasible objects.