3D Printing, the Internet and Patent Law–A History Repeating?

摘要: 3-D printers are used to print three dimensional objects. Depending on the method applied the created object is constructed of a sort of plastic that the printer produces and shapes in the requested shape. 3-D printers have become more and more affordable in recent times and have therefore reached a wider distribution among the general public. Users can therefore nowadays print 3-D objects from the comfort of their home. Additionally, there are websites available that can be accessed to download files that contain templates which can be read into a computer and used for printing objects. This development may have important, if not dangerous ramifications. There have been reports that 3-D printing has been used to produce parts of handguns which otherwise needed to be registered.