IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2015 - 78

technologies. However, the key to 3D printing is not just in
the physical machines, but the software driving them; just
as important are the digital creations that will be transformed into physical objects. There are a multiplicity of 3D
printing file online marketplaces, such as Thingsverse and
Sketchfab, providing resources for sharing and selling 3D
printing files. The ability to easily access and share files
creates copyright and intellectual property issues. With the
ease of scanning everyday objects using either 3D scanners or widely available technology, such as the Microsoft
Xbox Kinect, it is now feasible to scan any object, make
minor modifications and take full ownership of the design
file. There are marketplaces such as Shapeways that allow
uploads of design files with a "no questions asked" policy.
Customers can have the object they have purchased printed and posted home, while the designer receives a commission. Shapeways prints in over 30 materials, including
metal and plastics and can print a variety of objects such
as drones, robots, phone cases, and jewelry. It is going to
be difficult to protect designs due to the ease of replication and customization. In the future, protecting personal
designs from additional unauthorized customization will
become even more critical, challenging both regional
and global regulatory systems currently in place. Existing
3D printing online marketplaces contain procedures for
copyright complaints. The growth of consumer 3D printing and the introduction of new virtual marketplaces will
probably make copyright and patent infringement an even
more significant issue along the same lines as Napster did
in early 2000.

Intellectual Property
3D printing is creating serious challenges for policy
makers across various domains including intellectual
property experts, legal patent owners, and regulatory
officials. Experts are uncertain that existing intellectual
property systems are prepared to handle widespread
distributed manufacturing. What is required is a grasp
of the potential dangers that 3D printing can propel, but
this must also be considered in context. Concerns need
to be identified for specific domains and there needs to
be a commensurate and measured policy to steer the
change on a trajectory that protects the interests of citizens and businesses.
Policy makers must outline pragmatic opinions on key
intellectual property concerns raised by 3D printing technology, comprising digital piracy of both physical and virtual
goods, and reduced control of trade secrets and proprietary
design. It is important to implement policies that will help
avert repetition of the patent wars being observed in the
smartphone industry, but with the speed of progress similar
scenarios for 3D printing seem inevitable.
A natural instinct of policy makers is to protect the
status quo by introducing bans and restrictions on new

technologies. An example is the 3D printed gun ban
debate in the United States. Although banning 3D printing
of certain items is much better that a general ban on 3D
printing, it is still a grey area, and very difficult to enforce.
If I distribute a 3D print file for a gun over the Internet with
instructions on how to assemble it to avoid detection by
airport scanners, am I technically breaking the law? Or is it
just an offense to print a plastic gun? If someone 3D prints
a metal gun, is it acceptable?

Printing Humans
There has been significant progress in the creation of
human organs and biomaterials [34]. Ethical and moral
concerns have been raised regarding the quality of the
organs, who controls the right to produce them, and
more. In a global society connected by technology in so
many different ways, there are concerns that the global
organ trade could be transformed by the use of unregulated 3D printing. Another concern is the religious connotations that 3D printing human organs is providing the
capability to "play God" on an unprecedented scale. But
there is no denying that bioprinting has the potential to
transform medicine and healthcare beyond what seemed
possible even 10 years ago.

Future of 3D Printing
The potential for disruptive innovation over the next
decade is high. There are big ambitions for applications
of 3D printing from researchers, makers, and futurists
that have the potential to transform our society beyond
our current imagination.

Remote Exploration
The ambition of many inventors is to develop the infrastructure to be able to assemble a 3D printer in a remote
or extreme environment, and fabricate whatever products
and tools are needed to survive using locally available
materials. There are already examples of space exploration and military applications exploring this possibility [27].

3DP4D Movement
There have been some key shifts in how international
development activities have evolved over the years. Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) initiatives have transformed not only how
we perceive developing countries [22], but have also
contributed to the way development and global health
activities are deployed and evaluated [35]. Mobile phone
use has also provided great strides in health and education in developing countries. The next stage could see 3D
printers making contributions to health and innovation
at the grass-roots level. There are already some excellent
examples of how 3DPs can be used to make a difference
in health [32] and sustainable development [3].

IEEE TEchnology and SocIETy MagazInE

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september 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - September 2015