3D PRINTING AND THE LAW

Humankind has seen various revolutions. The last big one was the Industrial Revolution. While we all are busy in our respective worlds, a silent revolution concerning social fabrication has already emerged over the last few years. 3D printing which began a few decades back in its early stages, is now getting more traction. The advances of technology have now enabled users to 3D print a variety of devices, components, items and things. 3D printing will become more and more prevalent as the costs for 3D printers go down.

The advent of 3D printing has brought forward various complicated legal and policy challenges concerning the same. What initially looked as a small aberration in terms of an added facility for manufacturing has now taken on the role of a disruptive technology in the form of 3D printing. 3D printing brings forward immense challenges to the existing international legal regimes pertaining to protection and preservation of intellectual property rights. Further with increased firearms and guns being 3D printed, the issues pertaining to regulating 3D printed firearms is getting increasingly significant. The advent of 3D has brought forward a variety of other complicated policy and regulatory challenges in this regard.