In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, we discussed copyright issues for 3D printers. Not all companies have made the decision to jump into the world of 3D printing. Parts 1 and 2 may not have applied to you at all. However, no matter your business, your company may have to deal with a third party printing your company’s product, in violation of your rights.

If a direct competitor has begun printing a product which is clearly in violation of your copyright, enforcement is relatively straight forward. However, the scary (and revolutionary) thing about 3D printers is that anyone can print your product from the comfort of their easy chair. Infringers are no longer restricted to the few businesses that can afford to ramp up large-scale production. How do you handle enforcement if the infringer is a relatively small time start-up? What if the infringer is a fan of your product?

At a high level, creating a 3D printed product involves several steps. First, the product itself is conceived. Next, the product is designed in a computer aided design program, and must be converted into a set of electronic instructions that tell the 3D printer how to create the product. In some instances, the CAD program itself may create the printer instructions. The last step is the actual printing of the product. Not all businesses can employ in-house designers and technical personnel who are capable of engineering a product and/or creating printing instructions for that product. For those that can, it may still be more economical to hire outside help from time to time.

In this three-part series, we will discuss various copyright issues that may arise from 3D printing. The first two posts in the series will address copyright issues for companies that are just beginning to utilize (or are thinking about utilizing) 3D printing. The final post in this series, however, will address a company’s reactions to other 3D printers who create potentially infringing products. In this post specifically, we will address some basic copyright pitfalls of 3D printers.

Copyright laws, of course, protect artistic works by guaranteeing their authors the right to control how those works are reproduced, distributed, modified, etc. Many types of works in the visual arts may be fodder for copyright infringement by 3D printers; sculptural works are the most likely candidates. Using a 3D printer to recreate a copyrighted work or a derivative of a copyrighted work is likely to be textbook copyright infringement. 3D printing has not created many new copyright infringement issues, but has instead allowed for such infringements to occur much more easily.

Husch Blackwell’s Tom Gemmell submitted a paper abstract and proposal (“Effect of FAA’s Guidance for Exemption Petitions”) for a presentation and round table discussion at AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems 2015 conference in May 2015.

Because AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) received hundreds of proposals, it’s holding an online community vote this week.

To vote…

While employers subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) must provide unpaid sick leave to employees meeting certain requirements, no federal law requires employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave.  However, employers — including those already providing their employees with paid time off (PTO) — should be aware of the recent spate of state laws and local ordinances permitting employees to earn paid sick leave time.

This fall, Husch Blackwell hosted a series of industry roundtables featuring local and national leaders representing a wide variety of industries. Each of the roundtables focused on key challenges and opportunities facing specific industries at the local, regional, national and international levels.

The roundtables were moderated by The Business Journals, who also provided coverage of…

Husch Blackwell’s Charlie Merrill and Megan Galey’s article, “Looking at RCRA Liability Post-Closure Care Period” appeared in Law360 today.

“Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act hazardous waste management regulatory program, the owner or operator of a closed hazardous wasteland disposal unit must perform post-closure care activities and provide financial assurance for the estimated costs…

Husch Blackwell welcomes former FBI agent Christopher A. Budke to its Kansas City, Mo., office. A former special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for over 30 years, Budke brings a broad range of investigative experience to the firm’s Government Compliance, Investigations & Litigation team. He will serve as a special investigator in criminal and civil matters, and lead internal investigations on behalf of companies and healthcare entities.

Husch Blackwell is excited to host an Open House and Cocktail Reception on October 2, 2014 at our new office space in the Cortex innovation district. Our on-site attorneys bring industry experience to St. Louis’ newest research and technology address: the @4240 Building.

Click here for additional information and to register.