3D printing and the role of this technology in the future: expert opinion from IBM

On Habré, the problem of copyright is often discussed, sometimes in connection with the rapid development of 3D printing technology. Last year even an article was published, where both of these topics were discussed. This year, an interesting opinion on the distribution of 3D printers and their impact on the production process / copyright was expressed by Paul Brody, head of IBM's global consulting practice.

In general, Brody considered not only the problem of the relationship between 3D printing and copyright, so to speak, the expert raised a number of other problems. But let's first see what the IBM representative thinks about the impact of 3D printing on copyright and how some of the production lines will evolve.
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So, the coexistence of copyright and 3D printing is really a very big problem (first of all, for copyright holders, it goes without saying). First of all, no one regulates 3D printing, although in the future all this can result in a kind of “piracy”, when an ordinary user buys a regular printer, and prints a brand thing whose design rights belong to a company. Brody believes that this is not so much a problem as an occasion for companies to look for "new ways of doing business and a monetization model." Some companies have to transform in time to keep up with the times. Of course, the legal framework (in different countries) should also be changed accordingly (here I would like to hope that the law will protect the interests of not only rightholders).

A simple example is provided with a Starbucks branded mug. If 3D printing is as widely available as regular printing (on paper), companies will have to work hard to make their stuff better than those that can be created on "home" 3D printers. Competition will increase in all industries, and production standards will rise. Paid, that is, branded items, should become much better in order to compete with the omnipresent 3D printing.

In addition, the value of software companies that will play a major role in the development and operation of future manufacturing processes will grow, and very significantly. A production model will gradually develop, including such components as 3D printing, open platforms and intelligent robotics, and on equal rights. But this will happen later, when 3D printing becomes really common and accessible to everyone.

All the prerequisites for the development of such a situation are already visible. For example, most recently Stratosys acquired MakerBot for $ 600 million. Major manufacturers of equipment, machinery and various kinds of vehicles (let's take the same Boeing) are already working with 3D printing to create various kinds of parts / components.
Paul Brody believes that the main advantages of 3D printing is, firstly, speed, and secondly - the ability to customize consumer goods.

In the future, for example, it will be possible to develop customized consumer goods (well, for example, independent creation of customized toothbrushes for company employees).

As we see, the representative of IBM believes that all this will develop quite smoothly, and 3D printing will affect competition in the production of consumer goods.

By the way, the opinion of representatives of the Institute for the Future Palo Alto coincides with the opinion of Brody. Back in 2011, a paper was published, which states that “three-dimensional printing will become“ a big blast for manufacturing ”, since workplaces in factories, logistics companies will be replaced by 3D printers, which will be installed in shops for printing things on the spot, instead of order to carry them from somewhere. "

There are other opinions.

For example, according to lawyer Michael Weinberg (Michael Weinberg), an expert on intellectual property from the company Public Knowledge, here we must expect a massive attack of rights holders - the same powerful attack that goes in the field of unlicensed copying of audio and video. Producers of goods are probably lobbying for the adoption of a new bill against 3D printing, by analogy with the DMCA, will start a hunt for hosters of CAD files, start criminal cases against users - and then follow the familiar list.

I would like, of course, to believe in the path shown by the IBM representative , where there is a sort of velvet revolution in production. The situation is likely to evolve according to some kind of averaged scenario, which includes both Brody’s prediction and Weinberg’s prediction. Well, we just have to follow the development of events and ... print our own Starbucks mugs :)