I know that cartoon characters and some car designs such as front grilles on Rolls-Royce and Jeep are usually copyrighted. Will this affect 3D printing?
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I know that cartoon characters and some car designs such as front grilles on Rolls-Royce and Jeep are usually copyrighted. Will this affect 3D printing?
technically - yes.
but unless you start selloing a lot of things and undermining manufacturers. Not sure it's a real issue.
As a hobbyist, you will generally fall under the "fair use" clause of the copyright laws, at least in the US. I'm not sure exactly how it works in other countries, but I assume it's similar for the most part.
Meaning if you want to create something that has material copyrighted in it, you are usually ok to do so as long is it can be called a craft or a hobby. If I wanted to make a few cornhole game sets with some NFL or college logos on it and sell them at craft fairs or roadside or even online, that's ok. But if setup my woodshop to focus on mass production of these, even as a 1 man shop, and I'm putting out a few dozen of them a week, if the copyright holder takes umbrage to this, they have a right to stop me.
So basically, it depends on how much are you cutting into their bottom line. If you are making craft items to promote a brand, then usually that brand sees it as the consumer will buy licensed things along with the occasional craft item. But if you are in direct competition with the brand, then they make take action.
Actually, no; there's no "Fair Use" exception in the copyright law for hobbyists or small producers. If the copyright holder finds out about your infringement, you're still liable to be prosecuted for it, even criminally. Of course, if you don't show anybody what you've done, you're unlikely to get caught, but that doesn't mean it's legal. Lots of little guys, infringing on stuff like NFL logos or Disney characters, have received harsh treatment, despite the myths that say it's okay. And in the US, making 10 or more unauthorized copies of something, that are collectively worth $2500 or more, qualifies as a felony; less than that and it's a misdemeanor, as well as a civil tort, if the copyright owner wants to press the matter. See: http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html , http://www.nolo.com/legal-encycloped...ial-30100.html and http://www.sawdustconnection.com/cop...s-hobbyist.htm