Drawing on the results of a project completed for the European Commission, the talk will consider the IP implications arising from 3D printing and 3D scanning, with particular focus on copyright and cultural organisations. In doing so, the presentation will give an insight into the IP implications surrounding the 3D printing and scanning process, from the perspective of designing a CAD file to sharing, printing and distributing it.
Through the application of selected statutes and case law drawn from the United Kingdom (UK), this paper will explore the copyright status of three-dimensional design files and will particularly question whether they can be protected as literary and / or artistic works. In responding to this question, the paper highlighting gaps and challenges inherent in the law and adopts a ‘coherentist’ and ‘regulatory instrumentalist’ analysis in responding to the challenges and providing recommendations for the future.
Drawing on UK and EU copyright laws and their application to 3D printing and CAD files, this paper will, first, question whether CAD files can be protected by copyright law before considering the copyright implications thrown up by the modification of CAD files as a result of scanning and the use of online tools.
