3D Printing - the future of printing?

3D printing has been available for a while, but new 3D printers are becoming more accessible and affordable. However, could this new technology have an affect on businesses in an already competitive and tough market?

A new white paper on the future of 3D printing and its effect on intellectual property law, copyright law and patent protection has been released by Public Knowledge, a digital culture advocacy group.

3D printing allows users to translate computer designs into objects. This has been a specialist printer for some time, but with the accessibility of new open source 3D printers increasing, the cost is becoming more affordable and the demand is rising.

According to PSFK the report states:

“Traditional patent infringement is not necessarily well suited to a world in which individuals are replicating patented items in their own homes for their own use. Unlike with copyright infringement, the mere possession or downloading of a file is not enough to create infringement liability. In order to identify an infringer, the patent owner would need to find a way to determine that the device was actually replicated in the physical world by the potential defendant. This would likely be significantly more time and resource intensive than the monitoring of file trading sites used in copyright infringement cases.”

With users can now design and produce their own products it could have a negative impact on businesses in the industry. People are now more willing to ‘do it yourself’ to save costs. If this is happening now, what is the next step?

For more information on the best printing solutions for your business, please give First Choice Business Systems a call on 0800 072 3747. They’re specialists in providing solutions based around Xerox printer products and offer free consultations.