If you’ve plucked a few 3D printable files from the web over the past few years, you will have doubtlessly come across references to copyright issues. How often have you seen things like ‘released under a Creative Commons licence’ or hints about a General Public License? Who owns it once it’s up there?
Fortunately, Michael Weinberg from over at Public Knowledge has just released an excellent whitepaper that will help you come to grips with the complex crossroads of copyright and 3D printed objects. The team specialize in providing knowledge about communication, copyright and the internet, and are an excellent source for more information about what your rights on the web actually are.
Michael Weinberg’s article is entitled 3 Steps for Licensing Your 3D Printed Stuff and provides an excellent overview of the contours of a copyright law that has grown into a absurd monstrosity over the last few decades. After all, it was written years before the concept of internet was even around, so it’s hardly surprising to see it being distorted into something that is incomprehensible to the ordinary man.
While this twenty-page article covers a lot of ground in detail, Michael also presents us with the basic approach for getting a copyright license that suits you:
1. Figure out which elements of your object or object file are eligible for copyright protection
2. Understand what copyright does — and does not — allow you to control
3. Choose your license
All steps are thoroughly explored, and can definitely help you to find around this complex side of the 3D printing hobby.
Lear more at http://www.3ders.org/
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