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\def\WIPO{World Intellectual Property Organisation}
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3D Printing and the Law : Are CAD Files Copyright-protected?
2015
Details
Title
3D Printing and the Law : Are CAD Files Copyright-protected?
Item Type
Journal article
Description
36 pages
Summary
3D printing has emerged as one of the most significantly disruptive technologies in the digital economy. The process of 3D printing involves the preparation of a computer-assisted digital (CAD) file, which may be derived from pictures or drawings, scanned from goods using a 3D scanner, or downloaded from websites. Such a file can easily be distributed, copied, modified and then " printed" by a printer device, using fine strands of molten plastic, ceramic, or even metal powder. This makes it possible to easily turn digital bits into physical objects. The technology's potential as a game changer, in this respect, presents challenging legal questions, which need to be addressed before the technology becomes more commonplace. This article focuses on issues that arise in copyright law in relation to the CAD files used by the printers. It is unclear whether copyright protection may exist over these design files, and if so, under what circumstances. Thus, this article examines subsistence of copyright over CAD files to be used in 3D printing: whether copyright exists and applies to the work.
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Published
[Kamloops, British Columbia] : Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law, 2015.
Language
English
Record Appears in
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