A recent decision by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) concerning copyright and patent infringement has put 3D printing at the center of a highly-charged debate the involves heavy hitters like Google and the Motion Picture Association of America, which are at odds in the battle over intellectual property rights. The ITC case intervened in a dispute between Align Technology, Inc. and ClearCorrect Operating, LLC. Align, which created a method for manufacturing its Invisalign® plastic teeth aligners using scanning and, ultimately, 3D printing of customized 3D models, charged that ClearCorrect has violated patent rights by using its process. The ITC determined that the digital files themselves could be considered “physical articles,” which has tremendous implications for the 3D printing industry. For more details, see the full article: http://3dprint.com/34255/itc-intellectual-property/ ‎


Below is Align Technology's Invisalign patent drawing: