UK Copyright Extension On Designed Objects Is 'Direct Assault' On 3D Printing (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: A recent extension of UK copyright for industrially manufactured artistic works represents "a direct assault on the 3D printing revolution," says Pirate Party founder Rick Falkvinge. The UK government last month extended copyright for designs from 25 years to the life of the designer plus 70 years. In practice, this is likely to mean a copyright term of over 100 years for furniture and other designed objects. Writing on the Private Internet Access site, Falkvinge says that the copyright extension will have important consequences for makers in the UK and EU: "This change means that people will be prohibited from using 3D printing and other maker technologies to manufacture such objects, and that for a full century." Falkvinge points out a crucial difference between the previous UK protection for designs, which was based on what are called "design rights" plus a short copyright term, and the situation now, which involves design rights and a much-longer copyright term. With design rights, "you're absolutely and one hundred percent free to make copies of it for your own use with your own tools and materials," Falkvinge writes. "When something is under copyright, you are not. Therefore, this move is a direct assault on the 3D printing revolution." "Moving furniture design from a [design right] to copyright law means that people can and will indeed be prosecuted for manufacturing their own furniture using their own tools," Falkvinge claims.

Comments

Dear all patents and patent holders.

[Lumpy]

You all can go Fuck yourselves. I will print whatever the hell I want in my home for my own uses. You can go and cry to your $1000 an hour psychiatrists as to why I am ruining your life.

Oh and to the MPAA... fuck yes I'll download a car! Doing it right now as a matter of fact as I want to print the Subaru Boxer engine model that is out there.

Re:Its true

[Archangel Michael]

Hey look, a EURO version of Trump supporter!