Re: [rp-ml] Desktop Factory

Adrian Bowyer wrote:
> Quoting Lee Eisinger <texture@textureame.com>:
>
>> mind. First, the general public is not smart enough to be able to
>> operate nor grasp all of the details required to produce a successful
>> part let alone product.
>
> Nor are they smart enought to operate a web-offset litho printing
> press. But hey, look: now everyone's their own typesetter and printer...

But in any case - they'll just download free designs off the web - just
like they use clip-art and pre-made fonts for their 2D printers.

>> Second, it will take a large company about 5
>> minutes to go after an individual who is crossing some of the copyright
>> laws and inflict extreme financial pain upon them. Napster taught large
>> companies to stop any infringement immediately.
>
> Ah! Them stopping that must be the reason why every teenager on the
> planet hasn't got 20 Gb of copyright MP3s on their hard drive...

There is a huge difference here though. If a company doesn't want you
to steal their STL file - they simply won't publish it. The problem
with music files is that there is no way for them to give you the music
without giving you the ability to copy it.

If I buy some gizmo in a store, there is not going to be any easy way
to replicate it.

> When people can RP what they like, there'll be open-source designs for
> every small machine you can think of available very soon after. Why
> drive to the shops?

Exactly.

> And remember: patent law allows private individuals to make a patented
> object for their own use without royalty. Why pay for what you can have
> free?

Is that just UK law? I've never heard of that exception here in the
USA.
Received on Thu Aug 31 04:53:33 2006