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3D Printing and the Limits of Copyright

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…

$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…

3D Printing and the New Industrial Revolution

Stephanie Curcio is a guest blogger at Law in the Making and is a 2L at the University of Western Ontario with an IP and technology area of concentration. Stephanie was selected as president of the Western Intellectual Property Association…

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…

Patent Infringement in 3D – Who to Sue?

Lauren Leahy is a guest blogger and is a summer student at Gilbert’s LLP in Toronto, where she works alongside Law in the Making co-founder Paul Banwatt. Contributions also made by Jamie Goodman, an associate at Gilbert’s LLP in Toronto.…