3D Printers Create a New World of Possibility and Controversy

Last updated on: February 1, 2013 at 10:00 am by Jason Morehead

3D Printers Create a New World of Possibility and Controversy 2013-01-31T21:40:29-07:00 Jason Morehead

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

One of the biggest technological advances in recent history that you may not have heard much about are 3D printers. Just as the name implies, these devices allow you to print actual, physical objects—like a bicycle—using nothing more than tiny layers of plastic and polymer. And though they may have once been the domain of labs and factories, they’re getting cheaper and smaller all the time. For less than $2000, you can get a device that fits in your garage or basement workshop, and you can start churning out, well, what exactly?

This is where these devices become truly fascinating. 3D printers can print, well, almost anything, from toys and musical instruments to guns and eagle beaks. And though current models use plastic and similar material as their “ink,” newer “bioprinters” are being developed that can use cells to print organic material, like human tissue and even meat.

As they become easier to acquire and use, one of the obvious benefits of 3D printers is their ability to distribute the tools of production and manufacturing to the masses—to level the playing field, so to speak. And therein lies a great potential for technical innovation and invention. But 3D printers are not without their problems. For starters, there’s a great potential for copyright violation. Up until now, the concept of copyright violation has usually been used in the context of music, movies, books, etc. But now, we stand poised to enter a whole new dimension (npi) of potential copyright issues. The Economist explains:

As far as intellectual property is concerned, the 3D printer itself is not the problem. But before it can start making anything, it needs a CAD (computer-aided design) file of the object to be produced, along with specialised software to tell the printer how to lay down the successive layers of material. The object can be designed on a computer using CAD software, or files of standard objects can be downloaded from open-source archives such as Thingiverse and Fab@Home. Most likely, though, the object to be produced is copied from an existing one, using a scanner that records the three-dimensional measurements from various angles and turns the data into a CAD file.

This is where claims of infringement start—especially if the item being scanned by the machine’s laser beam is a proprietary design belonging to someone else. And unless the object is in the public domain, copyright law could well apply. This has caught out a number of unwitting users of 3D printers who have blithely made reproductions of popular merchandise.

Earlier this year, for instance, one hobbyist worked out how to print the popular “Penrose Triangle”, an optical illusion that cannot exist in normal three-dimensional Euclidean space, and released a video challenging others to say how it was done. Another 3D modeler not only figured it out but uploaded the CAD file of his own solution to Thingiverse. Whereupon the initial designer threatened Thingiverse with legal action under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998.

3D printers, in and of themselves, may be perfectly legal, but what they’re used to produce can create legal, regulatory, and even ethical concerns. For example, recent gun control legislation has taken aim (again, npi) at high capacity ammo magazines. But that legislation may soon prove to be moot given that you can print your own. And it’s not just ammo magazines that are now printable; DEFCAD hosts templates for everything ranging from ammunition to silencers to rifle grips. As printing technology improves, it’s only a matter of time before someone can print their own arsenal, or print an arsenal for someone else.

Legislation banning printed magazines has been discussed, but it doesn’t require too much of a stretch of the imagination to see the logistical problems that such legislation will face, given the technology’s widely distributed nature. (Interestingly, 3D printed weapons may not concern only the government; some have suggested the ease with which guns—and in the future, drugs—can be printed might prove problematic for criminal organizations who thrive on the illicit sale of such items.)

Once again, 3D printers are yet one more example of how quickly the rate of technological development can outpace traditional social conventions, i.e., our laws and regulations, be it copyright policy or gun control legislation. The fact is that this technology is out there, and it isn’t going to go away. It’s only going to get better and better. And it’s going to become increasingly harder to regulate without infringing on legitimate use. Make no mistake, 3D printers have a vast number of completely legitimate and non-controversial uses, and more will be uncovered as these devices continue to move outside the “geek” realm. Which does nothing to diminish the vast potential for confusion, controversy, and conflict that they represent.

Previous Post

February 1, 2013

Frequently Searched Questions: Bruce Wayne Depression

Next Post

February 1, 2013 When God Is a Woman

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz