Is Thingiverse's Business Model a Bad One?

[RobH2]

Don't get me wrong, I love open-source models and sharing of ideas and technology. But, corporations in the US make insane profits and sometimes open-source generosity enables a company to take those ideas and run with them. It's not always feasible for a small guy to "just open a 3d shop" as there are some significant financial and logistical hurdles to clear. Being able to manage rights really does nothing for you if you can afford to go to court and challenge it. Plus, it's impossible to know where your ideas are being used unless it becomes mainstream and you happen to catch it or see it somewhere. I've had several managed rights breaches myself and have never pursued any of them because it would cost me $1000's to do so.

I'm always cheering for the "small guy" and see no harm in enabling a system where some of us can make a little bit of money under the noses of the behemoth corporations. I'm risking being too political on this site but it's bad enough that the US is full of "Patent Trolls" that sue anyone they can find for "alleged" patent infringement. Frequently it is unfounded but they have more financial resources then the people they are scaring, so they squash innovation. So, creativity is being sniffled in this country by this insidious trend.

To be specific, there is one issue we all are going to have to face at some point and that is ABS Smoothing. Apparently someone got a patent for it, smoothing ABS with Acetone vapor. Anyone who works with ABS knows that Acetone is a solvent for it and smooths it. A patent for that is like getting a patent for cleaning your paint brush by running it under the sink.

Ok, I'm off of my soapbox now. Sorry for that divergence. To summarize, I don't think there is anything wrong with "some" system that allows all of these creative people to derive some revenue (even if pennies) from all of their hard work. It's called free enterprise and it's what our economy is base upon.

[Roxy]

To be specific, there is one issue we all are going to have to face at some point and that is ABS Smoothing. Apparently someone got a patent for it, smoothing ABS with Acetone vapor. Anyone who works with ABS knows that Acetone is a solvent for it and smooths it. A patent for that is like getting a patent for cleaning your paint brush by running it under the sink.

If there really is a patent filed on this... My guess is it is valid. The reason is this: Much of the 3D-Printer work is happening on the internet and there is discussion on every topic in the 3D-Printer forums. If this patent got filed, the process to invalidate it would involve finding prior art. If you find a post in some forum talking about smoothing ABS with acetone vapor prior to when they filed the patent, it is over. My guess is they wouldn't spend the money to pursue a patent unless they really were first.

It will be an interesting one to watch!