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Wired On 3-D Printers As Fraud Enablers
An anonymous reader writes Citing a report from the Gartner Group estimating $100 billion in intellectual property losses within five years, Joshua Greenbaum warns of "the threat of a major surge in counterfeiting" as cheap 3-D printers get more sophisticated materials. Writing for Wired, Greenbaum argues that preventing counterfeiting "promises to be a growth market," and suggests that besides updating IP laws, possible solutions include nanomaterials for "watermarking" authentic copies or even the regulation of 3-D printing materials. Major retailers like Amazon are already offering 3-D print-on-demand products — though right now their selection is mostly limited to novelties like customized bobbleheads and Christmas ornaments shaped like cannabis leaves. Apropos: Smithonian Magazine has an article that makes a good companion piece to this one on the long political history of the copy machine, which raised many of the same issues being rediscovered in the context of 3-D printing.
I have talked to a tourist in London who admitted to me that he is travelling to London to copy art pieces. This person would take pictures of art in multiple directions and send it to manufacturers in China who would use the picture to build a 3d model and use a 3d printer to make a mold. From the mold you could produce cheap replicas for hotels and offices for people who would not mind too much. You do not have to 3d print everything just make molds. Of course this limits the use of such techniques. I was a bit surprised that the person would tell so much to a random stranger.
Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
I mean ... I've experienced a few times when a $50 - $200 appliance didn't work anymore because a $0.005 piece of plastic broke.
If the appliance is still under warranty, you can take up the cudgels and have it repaired or replaced. If it's out of warranty, you *might* be able to have it repaired, only to find that repairs typically cost between 50% and 150% of the purchase price.
What could be more reasonable to suspend legal restrictions barring you from 3D-printing that widget (if at all possible)?
As far as I know, it's very very rare that such a widget is of such clever design that you freeload on someone's hard work. What I think is the case (on basis of a thoroughly non-scientific survey, sample-size 6, personal observation) is that any ingenuity in the design is spent in making sure the widget in question can't be second-sourced without infringing on some sort of patent. E.g. by adding a special notch, a special hole, or simply making the dimensions so that the widget is unlike any other on the planet (and any other widgets won't fit).
There can be difference in qualities, and the originals may be collectibles...
I don't think people are seriously worried about someone scanning some priceless marble figurine, printing a copy and selling it for $100,000,000 to some very stupid collector who doesn't notice that it is made rather roughly from plastic.
They're more worried about someone scanning a $20 Popular Cartoon Character(R)(C)(TM) doll and printing a copy for their sprog, without the House of Mouse receiving their rightful tithe under the 2016 "lets keep Mickey copyrighted forever" act.
In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
Actually There is an exotic mechanic just outside of Bangkok whose specialty is making "Fauxrari" and "Lambaux" and any other exotic you want, under the hood they are Toyota and Mazda pumped up ricer motors. Considering his builds run between $65k-$80k they are for the semi-rich in third world countries to look like they have more money than they really do. Rumor has it most of Saddam's later rides were made by this guy, who brags his vehicles are safer while being lighter as he makes his panels out of carbon fiber from casts of the real parts.
Sorry I can't seem to find a link, I read it in a magazine,Wired IIRC. Of course even if I found photos it would look just like the real thing as the Wired article had him posing by some of his builds and his attention to detail was just incredible, I bet if you parked the real 65 Ferrari next to his you wouldn't know which is which by merely looking.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.