But there is nothing wrong or evil about copyright or patents. If I had invested time and money in designing a chair that was going to be my source of income I would not be happy if somebody came along and just started building replicas, cutting me out of the market and gaining from my hard work.

Well the change in law will protect big business as well as the person at home, as they do now. The problem with these things is it is the group with the deepest pockets that usually wins in a legal battle. But in the end it may be to the benefit of 3D printerers. After all 3D printing is empowering a new wave of independent designers.

It can be so difficult to draw distinctions between designs and ideas, it is almost impossible to quantify in many respects. Are there problems with the current governance of the system, yes, is there a better alternative?