As 3-D Printing Becomes More Accessible, Copyright Questions Arise (Demo)

On February 19, 2013, Fred Henn writes on NPR All Tech Considered:

Many people think 3-D printing could help spark a manufacturing renaissance in the U.S. — even President Obama highlighted this technology in his State of the Union address last week.

But as 3-D printers and 3-D scanners get cheaper, this nascent industry could be roiled by battles over intellectual property.

Such technology will enable ordinary people to easily make perfect copies of physical objects. The technology will keep advancing and provide endless creative design opportunities to those who previously never would have had the resources to engage.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/02/19/171912826/as-3-d-printing-become-more-accessible-copyright-questions-arise