intellectual property law

3D Printing, Medical Models, Intellectual Property, and the FDA: Expert Gathering at Additive Manufacturing Strategies Summit

While adding more events to an already packed calendar year in technology can seem to be a tricky proposition, it takes differentiation and careful curation for any new happening to…

Third Annual Benesch 3D Printing Conference Spotlights Biomimicry, Startups, and Legal Issues in Additive Manufacturing

Yesterday, the law firm of Benesch Attorneys at Law held its third annual 3D Printing Conference, an event geared towards keeping legal professionals up to date on 3D printing and the…

3D Printing News Briefs: March 24, 2017

For this Friday edition of 3D Printing News Briefs, we’ll take a look at copyright law, a 3D printer, new 3D printing products, a prestigious award and a group meeting, and…

How the 3D Design Community Can Better Protect Its Intellectual Property

3D printing has, in the scope of a just a few years, moved from a technology on the periphery—primarily used by large companies for industrial manufacturing—to the mainstream—a technology on…

Shapeways and Other User-Generated Content Sites Submit Latest Round of Input to US Copyright Office

Time for everyone’s favorite topic – intellectual property law! It’s a big part of the creation of a smoothly functioning 3D printing economy, especially with the rise of sites that rely…

D3CRYPT3D Software Aims to Provide Security For 3D Assets and Intellectual Property

One of the biggest hinderances lingering throughout the 3D printing community is the lack of security for intellectual property of 3D models. The glaring issue has plagued users of 3D…

“Cheerleader Uniform Case” Prompts Shapeways and Other Organizations to Demand Supreme Court Clarify Intellectual Property Law

Full disclosure: intellectual property and copyright issues are not my favorite subjects. The whole area is messy, murky, confusing, and often seemingly arbitrary, and that’s before you even open up…

The Supreme Court Writes a New Chapter on Patent Damages — Making an Award of Attorneys’ Fees and Multiple Damages Easier to Obtain and Once Again Changing the Patent Landscape

This article will review the recent history concerning patent litigation, patent damages, and recent changes effectuated by Congress and the Supreme Court. First, a little history. Once upon a time there…

The New Federal Trade Secrets Act – Another Way to Protect Additive Manufacturing

For the first time ever, Congress has passed a law that makes the misappropriation of trade secrets subject to a federal civil claim. On May 11, 2016, President Obama signed…

3D Scans Can’t be Copyrighted – Shapeways Publishes New Whitepaper on 3D Scanning and Copyright Laws

There is no question that as 3D scanning and 3D printing technology improves in both quality and speed, the future of copyright and IP law is going to get really…

Intellectual Property is a Hot Topic at Second Annual Benesch 3D Printing Conference

I spent my day yesterday sitting in the main ballroom at Cleveland’s Ritz Carlton hotel with a few hundred attorneys, business leaders, and academics from across Northeast Ohio to discuss…

Global Law Firm Hunton & Williams Launches New Team Dedicated to Dealing with 3D Printing Legal Issues

Back in college I had a business teacher use a truism that has always seemed to prove itself to be pretty accurate. He said that you know a new industry…

Protecting 3D Printed Designs – Can Trade Dress Rights Fill the Void?

Imagine you’ve designed a new product with 3D printing.  Thinking of ways to protect it can be a daunting challenge.  Hopefully, you’ll consider some basic agreements with any third parties…

Shapeways on US Dept. of Commerce Report: Beware Remixes & Copyright Infringements—They Can Cost You Six Figures

There’s no better part of a beginning than that of a fledgling industry populated by passionate individuals all enjoying themselves and getting along, working for the common good—for about a…

Exclusive Interview: Legal Expert Marcus J. Thymian Examines Implications of Intellectual Property & Patent Law in 3D Printing

Intellectual property is, obviously, a hot issue in today’s world. With patents having been around for centuries–George Washington signed the first US patent back in 1790, for Samuel Hopkins’ method…

UK Study Assesses Legal and Industry Ramifications of 3D Printing & Intellectual Property

When the military and the government begin looking into a unique technology — and using it for previously unheard-of exercises and means to an end — you know it’s something of…

Sioux Falls Maker Accused of Infringing on Copyright Laws with 3D Models of Michelangelo’s Statues

My most memorable art teacher in high school, a lively woman from the UK and a great artist in her own right, used to allow us great latitude in deciding…

3D Printing at the Center of Controversial Intellectual Property Debate

3D printing is at the center of a monumentally important, extremely controversial copyright infringement debate with global implications. This lawsuit that involves powerhouses like Google, the Motion Picture Association of…

The Mummy in the Library: 3D Printing as the New Monster Creation

By now, the myth of the library as a repository of dusty books, occasionally leading to the unleashing of a mythical mummy, has been well put to rest in most…