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

Repairs [Re:Um, no.]

[Tablizer]

If you need to repair something that's no longer manufactured and hard to find parts for, it's unrealistic to have to hire a lawyer to find and help negotiate "design usage rights". That's just plain dumb.

Or if it's a simple part with no patents on it, such as a gear, connector pin, etc. Ancient Greeks invented the (known) gear, for goodness sake.

There should be "repair reality" clause of some sort.
   

Re:well, Browning died 70 years ago

[jenningsthecat]

Poor people don't have the slightest notion how to draft trade policies that won't ruin the economy, let alone how to tell credible science from media-fluff.

In some African countries, very poor villagers, when given micro-loans, establish businesses that lead to thriving micro-economies. And they do so with a lack of other resources and supports that might well leave you flat-ass broke and begging for handouts if you were in the same situation. Poor != stupid, lazy, ignorant, etc. As for 'credible science', many people the world over who live at the sharp end of existence have been blowing the trumpet of global warming for decades. It took organized science a while to catch up with them.

And their best attempts at administering justice would be indistinguishable from barbarism.

If you're going to put up a straw man, you should first acquire some straw.. Your 'argument' doesn't have even that, never mind the string to hold it together and give it shape.