An interesting article was posted recently at Slate about the limits of copyright protection in 3D shapes and the implications for 3D printing. In the case highlighted by the article, Inhale, Inc. v. Starbuzz Tobacco, Inc., the US 9th Circuit Court…
Author: Paul Banwatt
Paul Banwatt is a lawyer at Gilbert's LLP in Toronto, Canada and drummer for the Rural Alberta Advantage
$100 Billion a Year in IP Theft Due to 3D Printers?
Only a few weeks after I posted that the intellectual property sky isn’t falling due to 3D printers, a report has been released suggesting that exactly the opposite might be true. Gartner, a respected tech research firm, is predicting that by…
3D Printing and Scanning: The IP Sky Isn’t Falling
First – an apology for the lack of updates. You can guess what my new year’s resolution is going to be. When we started this blog, we thought it would be interesting to look at some of the IP and…
CNBC Report: 3D Printing Patent “Gold Rush”
My colleague, patent agent Matthew Powell, pointed me to a new article from CNBC‘s Heesun Wee which sheds light on the flood of 3D printing-related patent applications being filed: From utilitarian processes to the final appearance of designed objects ranging…
How Hard is Low-Cost 3D Printing Patent Infringement?
A new article in the New York Times highlights both an interesting application for 3D printing, and (though it isn’t the point of the article) the ease with which one might infringe a patent with a 3D printer. The story…
Could Your 3D Printed Pizza Infringe a Patent?
NASA recently funded a 3D food printer project – the prototype version of which is intended to make pizzas. For me, this news is another bold step toward the dream of everyone having a Star Trek-style replicator. After all, although…
3D IP Issues… From Jewelery & Toys to Semiconductors
Given the present limitations on low-cost printers’ ability to print complex objects and electronics, it is still early for electronic component manufacturers worry about IP implications of 3D printing. For now, the greatest IP threat may be to manufacturers of…
An Interview with 3D Industries on the Future of 3D Search and IP
Law in the Making had the chance recently to interview Seena Rajal, CEO and founder of London-based 3D search start-up 3D Industries (3DI). 3DI’s search engine offers the ability to “search for components, supplies, designs, industrial parts… using shape and…
When Will Medical Device Regulation Intersect With At-Home 3D Printing?
Recently it was reported that the FDA sent a letter to a mobile app developer, Biosense Technologies Private Ltd., informing them that their app product, the uChek Urine analyzer, potentially required FDA clearance as a medical device. The FDA is…
3D Printing and IP on CBC Spark This week
I’ll be updating the blog in the next day or two with a new post about the concept of patent exhaustion as it relates to 3D printing. Until then, check out my interview on CBC Radio’s Spark this week discussing…