Socio-Legal Aspects of the 3D Printing Revolution

Abstract

Additive manufacturing or ‘three-dimensional (3D) printing’ has emerged into the mainstream in the last few years, with much hype about its revolutionary potential as the latest ‘disruptive technology’ to destroy existing business models, empower individuals, and evade any kind of government control. This book examines the trajectory of 3D printing in practice and how it interacts with various areas of law, including intellectual property (IP), product liability, gun laws, data privacy, and fundamental/constitutional rights. Before the detailed examination of law and 3D printing, this opening chapter introduces 3D printing as a technology, along with some of the high-level themes which permeate its interaction with areas of law. A particular comparison is made with the Internet as this has been, legally speaking, another ‘disruptive technology’ and also one on which 3D printing is partially dependent.