New Software to Prevent 3D Printing of Guns and Copyrighted Material

[Brian_Krassenstein]

A company called Dai Nippon Printing Co, based in Japan has come up with a software which they claim will put a stop to the 3D printing of guns, and anything else that's illegal. The software can recognize weapons, copyrighted materials, logo, etc, and then prevent the user from printing an item out that it deems illegal. Supposedly all this will take place without slowing the print process down. DNP expects the software to be available to the public sometime in 2017. More details on this program can be found at the article here:
http://3dprint.com/4701/security-pro...d-printed-guns

What do you guys think? Will people just find ways to get around the software? Here is a little graphic showing its inner workings:

[Feign]

"Find ways to get around the software" You mean people can just not buy the products that have DRM crammed in them, often at great expense to the manufacturer of said products? I wonder if producers know this and therefore consider DRM software to be directly toxic to their hardware sales if it's known to be included...

Consider that both Sony and Microsoft were about to implement draconian rights management systems (not even close to this bad, though) until they figured out that people were prepared to let the entire next-gen console gaming market die rather than just accepting it. In the 3D printing arena, there are not just three next-gen systems in the market, but dozens, with thousands of DIYers.

I wonder if people who have to sell third-party DRM software to non-monopoly hardware manufacturers are fully aware of the inherent futility of their job.

[atoff]

DNP expects the software to be available to the public sometime in 2017.

Awesome...can't wait to not download it.

While this isn't nearly as idiotic as the "argument" that 3D printers should be banned because they're able to print guns, it's still very idiotic on so many levels.
Who's going to implement this, and in what way would this benefit them? As far as the weapon recognition is concerned, it's just moronic. Many people print replica toys, this just wouldn't fly. A company selling a printer with these restrictions would need to justify it in a major way.

As for DRM. I can see a company like Amazon creating their own 3D printer, and selling DRM'd 3D prints in a way similar to how they sell Kindle's and Ebooks. But their DRM protection would more than likely be implemented into the software they're likely to provide with the printer. This concept of detecting logo's and copyright material is absurd. Unless a regulation is created by the government, no person, nor company selling 3D printers are going to want this anywhere near their machines. Which printer are you going to purchase, the one with asinine restrictions, or the one without?

[Geoff]

I think this point of every man and his dog trying to regulate what people print will backfire in their faces with an explosion of biblical proportions. (pardon the pun)

I don't condone printing 3D firearms, but I also don't condone being a nanny-state or policing what people print on their machines.

[innovestment]

I'm really curious as to how they propose to detect guns and small dangerous animals. Wait, what is that second thing supposed to be?

[jfkansas]

Wow 2017, must be top priority. Wonder if it will detect ray guns and star trek phasers.

[Compro01]

I'm really curious as to how they propose to detect guns and small dangerous animals. Wait, what is that second thing supposed to be?

Presumably a non-copyrighted representation of a copyrighted (or trademarked) thing, like a certain mouse.

As for how, probably the same way youtube takedown bots do i.e. with massive levels of false positives.