Of PhDs, Pirates, and the Public: Three-Dimensional Printing Technology and the Arts

Authors

Lucas S. Osborn

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The confluence of three-dimensional printing, three-dimensional scanning, and the Internet will erode the dividing line between the physical and the digital worlds and will bring millions of laypeople into intimate contact with the full spectrum of intellectual property laws. One of the areas most affected by 3D printers will be three-dimensional art. This Article analyzes several ways in which 3D printing technology will affect the creation, delivery, and consumption of art. Not only does 3D printing offer great promise for creative works, but it also presents a problem of piracy that may accompany the digitization of three-dimensional works. As 3D printing technology’s relationship to intellectual property law is largely unexplored, this Article explores foundational issues regarding how copyright law applies to 3D printing technology, laying the groundwork upon which further analysis of 3D printing’s effects on copyright law may be built.

DOI

10.37419/LR.V1.I4.1

First Page

811

Last Page

835

Recommended Citation

Lucas S. Osborn, Of PhDs, Pirates, and the Public: Three-Dimensional Printing Technology and the Arts, 1 Tex. A&M L. Rev. 811 (2014).
Available at: https://doi.org/10.37419/LR.V1.I4.1