Build RepRaps to sell?

[MasonGerald]

I know that it is open source. Does that mean that laws prohibit people from building RepRaps to sell? Could someone answer this question? I hope I'm not offending anyone, but my buddy and I are considering making a company to do just this.

Mason

[RobertKuhlmann]

Of course you can sell RepRaps. And there already are some resellers that offer complete printers and DIY kits. Some companies made there own variants of RepRap-printers and sell them.

Open Hardware means, that no one claims to have the exclusive rights. This reduces the profit one can make with RepRap-technology, and this is by intention. You may sell parts and complete printers but will only be paid for the reselling process, not for any 3D-printing know-how, because that's not owned by you.
The idea behind RepRap is to make 3D-printing available to everybody. So you will not become rich with selling RepRap-parts, but you will be part of spreading the technology to more people, getting reward for that.

As long as you respect this fact, you may sell RepRap-printers and parts as requested.

To be honest: The profit margin will be limited and that's the cause for the limited number of companies, running exclusively on this business. You should enrich your business model with additional ideas, e.g. according to and accompanied with RepRap 3D printing, filament a.s.o.

[Marcus]

Also be aware of patents and regulations that may cause big trouble for a small business, depending on the country you are in / selling to.

[RP Iron Man]

Also be aware of patents and regulations that may cause big trouble for a small business, depending on the country you are in / selling to.

Does this pertain to FFF 3d printers?

I thought that the patents were only a potential problem if you started dabbling in SLS metal printing, or if you sold printers with actively heated chambers. Even then, the big commercial printer companies like 3D Systems and Stratasys likely will not bother to sue you unless you start making boatloads of cash. The Kuehling&Kuehling RepRap Industrial printer has an actively heated chamber which seems to step all over the Stratasys patents, yet they have not experienced any legal trouble. I assume that Stratasys is aware of their printer but does not bother to sue the Kuehling brothers because a lawsuit would not be worth the trouble.

Eric

[RobertKuhlmann]

Does this pertain to FFF 3d printers?

I thought that the patents were only a potential problem if you started dabbling in SLS metal printing, or if you sold printers with actively heated chambers. Even then, the big commercial printer companies like 3D Systems and Stratasys likely will not bother to sue you unless you start making boatloads of cash. The Kuehling&Kuehling RepRap Industrial printer has an actively heated chamber which seems to step all over the Stratasys patents, yet they have not experienced any legal trouble. I assume that Stratasys is aware of their printer but does not bother to sue the Kuehling brothers because a lawsuit would not be worth the trouble.

Eric

A patent will only withstand a lawsuit, if it is a real invention of a specific minimum height. No one should be able to claim the exclusive rights for an actively heated chamber (how does a "passive" heated chamber look like?), because this "invention" is so trivial, the patent may be withdrawn in a law suit.
I think they would risk to loose their patent, not only the lawsuit. 0.02€

[RP Iron Man]

A patent will only withstand a lawsuit, if it is a real invention of a specific minimum height. No one should be able to claim the exclusive rights for an actively heated chamber (how does a "passive" heated chamber look like?), because this "invention" is so trivial, the patent may be withdrawn in a law suit.
I think they would risk to loose their patent, not only the lawsuit. 0.02€

You may be right about trivial patents not surviving lawsuits. I have heard of people attaining patents for the most trivial of inventions, but I am not sure how these patents would hold up in court (but then why were they granted in the first place?). As you may have heard, a hardware startup called Formlabs was recently sued by 3D Systems for infringing on their Photolithography patents (very old/basic invention) but I am not sure how that one turned out. The thing is, the law tends to favor those who know all of the loops and does not necessarily protect what is reasonable. A large corporation like 3D Systems will be able to spend large sums of money on top notch lawyers whereas a hardware startup like Formlabs may not have the resources to fight such a large lawsuit.

By actively heated chamber I am referring to a chamber that has temperature regulated by a thermistor with heaters (other than the heat bed) heating the chamber. A "passive" heated chamber would just be an enclosure around the printer that helps retain the heat produced by the heat bed.

Eric

[Tom]

Companies already do this, so you will be fine. Some sell full kits, or fully assembled. Reprapro is the only one I know of off the top of my head

[KDog]

Makerfarm makes i2 and i3 kits for sale. Remember that you will be responsible for all customer service for your kits. The original inventor will have nothing to do with it.

[jeffegg2]

Easiest would be to just print and sell the printed parts as a kit.

Many have gone from reprap to starting a business in printers though...

[crowbar]

Customer support....That should be reason enough not to do it. Ever built a computer for a friend or family? You end up having to be their IT person until you are able to move far away from them or change your number.