How would you react if Canon or Minolta tried to control what paper you put in your copiermachine? Badly I expect.
3D printer manufacturer Stratasys has asked the US Copyright Office to stop a proposal that would make it legal to use non-approved materials in their printers. As it is the 3D printer will check if you bought the feedstock by an approved source. Users want permission to modify the printers so they can use the feedstock they choose.
In Danish Copyright law § 75c declares that “Det er ikke tilladt uden samtykke fra rettighedshaveren at foretage omgåelse af effektive tekniske foranstaltninger†and that †Ved effektive tekniske foranstaltninger i stk. 1 og 2 forstås enhver form for effektive tekniske foranstaltninger, der under deres normale funktion har til formål at beskytte værker og andre frembringelser m.v., som beskyttes i henhold til denne lov.
The Danish (and European) regulation is directed to a copyrighted work and not the machine producing the work. Stratasys proposes that allowing the unsanctioned feedstock will “diminish the ability of 3D printing systems to serve as secure hubs for the distribution of proprietary software and designs and for the collection of critical performance and manufacturing information.â€
Does the rule extend to materials used for creating works? Since the printers are not only used for creating pirated versions of copyrighted material I think it will be hard to argue that the technical barrier is placed to protect copyrighted material. Furthermore, the technical solution is not devised and controlled by the copyright owner.
So I would like to hear arguments for the prevention of modification of 3D printers due to copyright, I have a hard time seeing any….
via Boing Boing