Formlabs In Settlement Talks Over 3D Printing Patent Lawsuit

curtwoodward writes "Formlabs raised nearly $3 million in a month for its new Form 1 3D printer, which uses stereolithography to make precise models and other physical objects out of photoreactive liquid polymer. But 3D Systems — the publicly traded company founded by the guy who invented that process — sued the startup for patent infringement. Formlabs recently announced that it would start shipping its pre-ordered Form 1 printers, and that was no coincidence: the two companies quietly entered into settlement talks in early May, and hope to have a deal done by September."

Comments

Re:in a word: screwed.

[stenvar]

3d systems, the patent holder for both the process and the hardware that in fact realizes the process, has been doing this since 1986.

Yes, and right there you have it: that's 27 years ago and the patents are expiring.

the Form1 is the fucking definition of knock-off.

It is, and that is what is supposed to happen when patents expire.

Re:legit patent suit?

[barc0001]

You seem to forget your history. Look at airplanes. The Wrights had patents and then this happened:

"In 1906 the Wrights received a patent for their method of flight control which they fiercely defended for years afterward, suing foreign and domestic aviators and companies, especially another U.S. aviation pioneer, Glenn Curtiss, in an attempt to collect licensing fees. Their legal threats suppressed development of the U.S. aviation industry for several years"

Things got so bad, the US Government had to step in and basically forced them and the Curtiss company to license patents in a patent pool arrangement since by 1917 almost no new planes were being built anywhere in the US and they were desperately needed for the war effort.

Just think where General Aviation would be today if the Wrights hasn't used their patent as a bat to keep everyone else out of the industry for a decade and a half.