Everything you need to know about copyright and intellectual property in context of 3d printing in one simple video

Thomas has another great video where he clarifies issues of copyright, intellectual property, patent and open source in context of 3d printing. It's a must-watch if you are interested in 3d printing on more professional level.

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Thingiverse Theft And How To Protect Yourself

Someone has been stealing designs from Thingiverse and selling it on Ebay. Here are two videos describing the situation and how you can protect yourself.

Here is Joel aka. 3D Printing Nerd:




Here is Angus from Maker's Muse. He as a industrial designer and professional with a lot of experience suggest few steps on how to protect yourself including watermarking it and not uploading it at all:



Here is the Thingiverse post that started it all:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1350837

here is the official Thingiverse statement about your rights:

http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2016/02/24/your-rights-when-you-upload-to-thingiverse

Here is the epilogue of the whole story, but it will probably happen again in a different form:

http://3dprint.com/124281/thingiverse-users-win/

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How stupid laws regulating 3D printing are ruining fun for everyone in California

Now this is just absurd and shows the sad state of affairs. Libraries are the key place where 3d printers should be accessible to everyone and now the LIABILITY and INFRINGEMENT protection are going to make them impossible to use.

From the source:

Here's a new bill in the California Assembly, AB-37*, which would require libraries that have 3D printers to post stupid signs warning people not to do nasty infringy things with those printers:

This bill would require every public library that provides public access to a 3D printer, as defined, to post a notice on or near the 3D printer that would alert users of the 3D printer of the potential liability of the user for misuse of the 3D printer, as specified.

This bill would require the Department of Justice to draft and distribute this notice, as specified, and annually review and revise the notice for accuracy. By imposing additional duties upon local officials, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.

In the actual text of the law, they're explicit about how it's about not infringing intellectual property:

The Department of Justice shall prepare and distribute to a public library that provides public access to a 3D printer a notice that would alert users of the 3D printer of the potential liability of the user for misuse of the 3D printer. The notice shall do all of the following:

(A) Provide citations to the applicable state and federal laws that may impose civil liability or criminal penalties for misuse of a 3D printer, including laws regarding copyright infringement and trademark and patent protection.

Source and more detailed information:

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150415/06143030661/california-bill-would-require-libraries-post-scary-warning-signs-not-to-do-infringy-stuff-with-3d-printers.shtml


EPIC FAIL CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY! Get your act together! Stupidity of this is beyond description!

Let people create and make stuff without fear of prosecution!

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How to research 3d printing patents

After a guide on how to copyright your 3d printed work here are few sources that shows you all the steps needed for patent research if you want to apply for your patent or protect your work from being patented by someone else (like a big corporation).
They cover mostly US Patents and Trademark Office but remember that patenting is big international issue.

Source, full size image and more info:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244693

Here is the official guide by USPTO:

http://www.uspto.gov/products/library/ptdl/services/7_Step_US_Patent_Search_Strategy_Guide_2014.pdf

Here is video showing the main steps:

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How to copyright your 3d printed work

Copyright is one of the most important issues of our age. Do you know how to use it to protect your 3d printing work? What can be copyrighted? What can you licence on a 3d object?

Here is an excellent White Paper guide written by Michael Weinberg on how to licence elements of your 3d printed / 3d printable object. It is a must read for anyone dealing with 3d printing and design!

Here is an short overview from the document:

A Three-Step Process In order to understand what it is you are licensing, this paper proposes a three-step process:

Figure out which elements of your object or object file are eligible for copyright protection

This can be much harder in the world of physical objects than it is with exclusively digital works. Unlike with code or photographs, with physical objects you may actually have to search out what parts are and are not protected by copyright. You may also need to make a distinction between the object and the file that represents the object—something that rarely occurs in the more traditional copyright world. While this can be complicated, this paper will try to make it as intuitive and straightforward as possible.

Understand what copyright does—and does not—allow you to control

Although it sometimes can feel otherwise, a copyright that protects a work does not control every use of that work.1 Understanding what your copyright allows you to control— and what remains out of your control—is critical to thinking about how to license things. For example, you may have a copyright on a file that represents an object, but not on the object itself. In that case, you should be clear-eyed about the fact that even the most restrictive license on the file will not stop people from reproducing the object without your permission.

Choose your license

After you understand what parts of your work are protected by copyright, and what that copyright protections actually mean, it is time to think about licensing. Once you understand what you have the legal right to control, you can start deciding how you want to exercise that control. This Paper is Only About Copyright Your 3D object might be protected by more than copyright. It could be protected by patent, or by trademark.

So why is this paper only about copyright?

Mostly because copyright protection is free. If you create something that is eligible for copyright protection, it automatically gets copyright protection free of charge. There are good reasons to register your copyright, but registration is not required for protection. This means that you get a copyright without ever filling out paperwork, consulting a lawyer, or even wanting it in the first place

Here you can download the entire guide in PDF format:

https://www.publicknowledge.org/assets/uploads/documents/3_Steps_for_Licensing_Your_3D_Printed_Stuff.pdf

This White Paper was published by Public Knowledge on March 06, 2015: Public Knowledge is a non-profit Washington, D.C.-based public interest group that is involved in intellectual property law, competition, and choice in the digital marketplace, and an open standards/end-to-end internet.

Only issue that needs further clarification is how 3d printing copyright works in international environment. You create a 3d object in one country, publish it on a repository in second county, someone in third country downloads it and does something against your licence...

THE BATTLE OF COPYRIGHT
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:THE_BATTLE_OF_COPYRIGHT.jpg

Here are some guidelines for patent research:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-to-research-3d-printing-patents.html

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Youmagine releases 3DPL Open Source License for 3D Printed things

YouMagine is a huge 3d model repository and 3d printing community and  they have take a huge step by releasing their open source license: the 3DLP.
They have community to participate with their ideas and suggestion in finalizing the license, so go and do your duty netizen!

You can read the 3DLP license here:

https://medium.com/@jorispeels/youmagine-3dpl-c11fce097ae


What are some interesting things about the 3DPL?

• The design must always be attributed.
• All subsequent derivatives of a shared file must be available for remix and sharing.
• If the creator requires that you include reference to be printed on or in the physical printed object, such as a logo or name, you have to respect that and are not allowed to remove that reference without the creator’s approval.
• If one doesn’t abide by the terms of the license the rights granted under the 3DPL will be terminated immediately.
• If you fail to comply with the license such as selling a work that was meant to be non-commercial then you must pay the creator 3 times the gross revenue you made on the sale.
• Arbitration for conflicts between parties is arranged for in accordance with the WIPO Expert Determination Rules.

Youmagine has 3 license types:

• REMIX: With a REMIX license your derivative work must be available to remix and share by others.
• REMIX — NON COM A REMIX — NON COM license restricts the use of the Design File, the modified Design File and any Designed Product to non-commercial use only. The Design File, the Modified Design File or any Designed Product may not be used with the intent of making money directly or indirectly from it.
• REMIX — RIGHTS MELT REMIX — NON COM for 12 months melting down to REMIX after 12 months. With a REMIX — RIGHTS MELT license your design file is available as a non-commercial share-alike file for 12 months. After this period the license will automatically become REMIX.

Learn more on Youmagine blog where you can also get involved in community development process:

https://blog.youmagine.com/2015/03/3dpl-released-an-open-source-license-for-3d-printed-things/

This makes me even bigger fan of YouMagine and hopeful for the future of intellectual property rights issues in 3d printing arena.

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The Kiosk by Bruce Sterling is dark vision of future and 3d printing

"The Kiosk" is an EXCELLENT must-read (or listen) science fiction novella by Bruce Sterling which deals with the dystopian future and 3d printing.
Bruce Sterling is a master SF writer famous for his work in fiction and technology theory and he currently lives in Serbia which is in my neighborhood and was once part of Yugoslavia.

The novella is clearly influenced by culture and history of Ex-Yugoslavia which makes it even more appealing to me.
It deals with life of kiosk owner Borislav from East Euroslavia who gets a "Fabrikator" machine. I will not spoil your enjoyment of the audiobook but it gets dark, violent, interesting ... there are 3d printed bullets printed with carbon particles and other 3d printed appliances ... the whole society of main protagonist is shaped by 3d printing...

You can download it here for free, it is read by Peter Cavell and starts around 10:30 into the podcast:

http://www.starshipsofa.com/blog/2010/01/13/aural-delights-no-116-bruce-sterling/

It is hour and a half well spent, I listened to it while walking my dog ...

FYI: it is not an optimistic work ...

For a similary themed dystopian short story you can also check out Printcrime by Cory Doctorow:

http://craphound.com/?p=573

"The Kiosk" inspired a project:

‘KIOSK’ explores a near future scenario in which digital fabrication is so ubiquitous that we see it appear on our
street corners. With KIOSK the user can ‘appropriate, sample, remix, improve, up/downscale or copy new objects
and 3D-print them on the spot.’ KIOSK operates as a portable 3D copyshop capable of producing a ‘custom made
fix for your broken shoe, materialise an illegal download of Starck’s Juicy Salif orange squeezer that you modified for better performance or quickly print out a present for your sister’s birthday.’ For The Machine Unfold, in collaboration with Indianen, created a new creative digital copy station.

A project commissioned by Z33, House for contemporary art and MU Eindhoven.
With the support of Bits from Bytes and Jo Van Bostraeten.
A collaboration with Indianen.

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Will 3d printing remain legal? The future of 3d printing legality discussion at Stanford may provide some answers and guidelines

One thing is sure: there will be much more litigation in the future ...


From the video description:

Three dimensional printing turns bits into atoms. The technology is simply amazing. These machines draw on programming, art and engineering to enable people to design and build intricate, beautiful, functional jewelry, machine parts, toys and even shoes. In the commercial sector, 3D printing can revolutionize supply chains as well. As the public interest group Public Knowledge wrote once, "It will be awesome if they don't screw it up."

The age of publicly accessible 3D printers and printing services is finally here, but are our legal doctrines up to the task of protecting the public while not screwing up a fantastic new tool? Stanford Law Professors Mark Lemley and Nora Freeman Engstrom, the CEO of Shapeways, the founder of Printrbot, the president of Airwolf 3D, and CIS Director of Civil Liberties Jennifer Granick discuss the product liablity and intellectual property issues surrounding this innovation.

Panelists:

• Mark Lemley - William H. Neukom Professor of Law at Stanford Law School
• Nora Freeman Engstrom - Associate Professor of Law at Stanford Law School
• Peter Weijmarshausen - CEO of Shapeways, 3D printing marketplace and community
• Brook Drumm - Founder of Printrbot, a desktop 3D printer you can build in a couple hours
• Erick Wolf - Intellectual Property Attorney and President of Airwolf 3D, an affordable, durable, and easy-to-use 3D printer

Moderator:
Jennifer Granick - Director of Civil Liberties at Stanford CIS

May 16, 2013
Stanford Law School
Hosted by the Stanford Center for Internet and Society

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ShapeDo will help you escape Thingiverse with easy migration tool

Thingiverse has had some issues with copyright of users 3d models and MakerBots attempted patenting of open technologies. That made some users angry and looking for new communities. ShapeDo saw the opportunity and developed easy migration tool that will take your models from Thingiverse and move them into ShapeDo. Well done ShapeDo!

http://shapedo.com/

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AP video report on legal concerns about 3d printing

Current state of intellectual property rights needs urgent reform. Period. This is short video report about some issues. Julie Samuels from EFF and Cyndi Tetro speak about some potential problems.
Personally, I'm going to print whatever I want ...

For more legal related posts, fear mongering and information see:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/search/label/law

Cyndi Tetro

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Bre Pettis interview by Singularity 1 on 1

I'v been following Singularity 1 on 1 and Nikola Danaylov for some time and always enjoyed his interviews. This one is with Bre Pettis, so since it's 3d printing related, I can share it here.




From video description:

During our 1 hour conversation with Bre we cover a variety of interesting topics such as: his personal journey from being a teacher, puppeteer and popular podcaster to starting the most disruptive 3D printing company; founding the NYC Resistor hacker space and writing The Cult of Done Manifesto; MakerBot and the commitment to firmware and software updates that make your 3D printer better; why specs such as printing resolution are less important than ease of use; his desire to empower people and democratize manufacturing; the pros and cons of open source vs a startup for-profit company; copyright and the thingiverse; the limits of 3D printing and recycling the world into filament...

Source, and other interesting interviews about technology, singularity, science and future :

https://www.youtube.com/user/ndanaylov?feature=watch

http://www.singularityweblog.com/

There are far more interesting interviews then this one with Bre, especially if you are into philosophy and technology.

BTW: this is video from beginnings of Bre:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/10/from-diy-3d-printing-history-2-humble.html

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Talk to lawyers about 3d printing and copyright

From video description:

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've undoubtedly come across countless articles discussing the potential for 3D printing to revolutionize product design and manufacturing. As with any new technology, however, existing laws, particularly copyright laws, are not always equipped to keep up with these advancements. This event will include a live demonstration of 3D printing and a discussion of its capabilities from David Struve of Struve Designs, an award-winning design firm. Lisa Moore and Elizabeth Wheeler of The Moore Firm, LLC will then discuss the many copyright issues that this technology raises and sort through whether these issues are likely to result in any real disruption of copyright-reliant industries.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/user/StateBarofGeorgia?feature=watch

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Small example of 3d printing changing the traditional supply and sale chain of plastic stuff

Great post on BoingBoing illustrating disruptive potential to traditional supply chain by 3d printing technology. It is also a small case study how physical objects can behave as digital objects.

Basically, someone on internet said:

I need this plastic replacement part, but it is incredibly expensive!

Few hours later, complete stranger sent him .stl file to 3d print that part.

Truly revolutionary!

On separate note, there are two additional things to think about here:

1. if you run a company with business model based on sale of overpriced small plastic parts, maybe it is time to think it over
2. if you want to be a (rich) lawyer, you should start researching 3d printing

From the source article:

Back in April, a redditor complained that a simple plastic cable-comb (used to bundle cables) was too expensive at $45. Later that day, WillySF modelled a printable cable comb and linked to the shape files (1, 2). It's a bit of a futuristic moment, no?
Saw the cable comb on Amazon with prime shipping

Model picture of the item in question:

Source:
http://boingboing.net/2014/01/06/complain-about-overpriced-plas.html

Here is another example of how 3d printing saved 140 $ when Raster replaced a part on his camera:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/04/diy-3d-printed-replacement-lcd-arm-on.html

or making a replacement cargo attachment point on Ford Focus:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/08/repairing-ford-focus-cargo-cover.html

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3D printed DIY replacement parts - replacement Jawbone Up cap

Here is another example of DIY 3d printable replacement part, this time for popular personal activity / fitness tracker Jawbone Up.
The cap can be lost or broken and someone designed replacement cap (with their logo on it). Retail price of the original part is around 10 $ + shipping, so printing it can save huge percent of that cost.
It shows how home 3d printing can change economics of replacement parts and raises some questions about IP rights. Since I'm sure that this trend of DIY replacement parts will continue  I wonder what will be the response from the corporate manufacturers and design IP rights owners.

Files can be downloaded here (I think that the advertisement logo can easily be replaced or removed):

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:166407

If you don't know what Jawbone Up is, here is a review:

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Blast from the 3d printing past

News clip from 1989 showing 3d printing. It also shows why patenting technology is so problematic. Imagine if we had open access to the technology for 24 years? We would live in Star Trek world by now. Patents and IP rights are bad bad things ...

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Signing 3d printed objects

Chris came up with innovative way to sign 3d printed objects.

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3d printing DRM patented

Here we go again with all the DRM stuff. 3d printing DRM is patented. When will they figure out that patent system is broken and DRM does more harm than good? From the looks of it, the guy is just setting up generic patent so he can potentially patent troll future 3d printing DRM system proprietors.

Article summary:

Sometime in the none-too-distant future, replacing your favorite coffee mug or creating a new iPhone case might be as simple as downloading a design you like from the Internet and firing up your 3-D printer.
Most 3-D printing has been done in industry or by hobbyists who share their designs freely online. Now Intellectual Ventures, the company run by Nathan Myhrvold, the former Microsoft CTO and alleged patent troll, has been issued a patent on a system that could prevent people from printing objects using designs they haven’t paid for.
The patent, issued Tuesday by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, is titled “Manufacturing control system” and describes methods for managing “object production rights.”
The patent basically covers the idea of digital rights management, or DRM, for 3-D printers. It also covers using digital files in extrusion, ejection, stamping, die casting, printing, painting, and tattooing and with materials that include “skin, textiles, edible substances, paper, and silicon printing.”
Control schema: A drawing from a patent won by Intellectual Ventures describes how to control digital rights for 3-D printing.
“This is an attempt to assert ownership over DRM for 3-D printing. Myhrvold’s operation, based in Bellevue, Washington, basically exists to file and buy patents, and currently controls nearly 40,000 of them, according to a spokesperson.
The manufacturing control patent, number 8,286,236, was filed back in 2008 and issued on October 9 to Invention Science Fund I, an arm of Myhrvold’s company.

Source article with longer text: http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429566/nathan-myhrvolds-cunning-plan-to-prevent-3-d/


If you want to know more about war on general computing (and in probably future war on general manufacturing) watch:

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TangiBot - low cost Replicator clone

Clone wars have just begun! TangiBot is 100% compatible Makerbot Replicator clone for 2/3 of the price. We will see how will Makerbot react to this, by launching nuclear lawyer strike or staying true to their Open Source roots.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2117793364/the-tangibot-3d-printer-the-affordable-makerbot-re

From Kickstarter page:

What does supporting this project mean to you?

By supporting this project you are doing one or more of the following:

• Making a contribution for which you will receive a token of appreciation (a printed medallion and your name listed on the company website forever)
• Pre-purchasing a TangiBot

What is a TangiBot?

The TangiBot is a Makerbot Replicator clone. It offers the same great performance and features of the Makerbot Replicator but it costs roughly 2/3 what Makerbot charges you for it.  Depending on the model you buy that is anywhere from $550-700 off! TangiBot is 100% compatible with all Makerbot Replicator firmware upgrades, parts and accessories. The only difference between the TangiBot and the Makerbot Replicator is that the TangiBot is NOT made by Makerbot.
Please keep in mind that the TangiBot and The Replicator might differ slightly in appearance due to a difference in suppliers. For example, the wires clips might be a different shape or color.

Why should you buy a TangiBot?

Quite simply, because the TangiBot is a Makerbot Replicator clone, the TangiBot is the best 3D printer on the market with a very active community of owners.  Here is a quick list of the benefits of buying a TangiBot:

• 2/3 the price of the Makerbot Replicator (discount of $550-700)
• The highest quality 3D printer
• The best features
• You can get it fully assembled and tested in Acrylic
• 100% compatible with all MakerBot Replicator Parts
• A very active community of owners
• Thousands of designs available to download online
• Design your own parts, toys, games, and models

Why are there 4 different models of TangiBot?

The standard TangiBot comes in a high quality plywood case with a single extruder.  You can also buy the TangiBot in an acrylic (plastic) case or with a dual extruder.  The dual extruder is capable of printing more than one color of plastic at the same time.  Your four options are:

• ($1199) Plywood Single Extrusion
• ($1299) Acrylic Single Extrusion
• ($1299) Plywood Dual Extrusion
• ($1399) Acrylic Dual Extrusion

Please keep in mind that if you want to buy a fully assembled and tested TangiBot in Acrylic you can only get it here.

How do you use the TangiBot?

The TangiBot prints anything you can imagine out of ABS plastic.  You can design your own parts using free tools like tinkerCAD.com or Google Sketchup.  If you have access to a professional CAD tool like ProEngineer or Solidworks, those tools will also work.  You can also download parts from online.  One of the biggest and most popular places to download parts is thingiverse.com.  Many of the online design tools (like tinkerCAD) also have databases where you can search for parts to print.
Don't let the word "CAD" intimidate you.  CAD has long been a tool for professional engineers but in the last few years many free and easy to use tools have become available to the public.  I am a big fan of tinkerCAD because it is so easy to use.

What can you use your printed parts for?

I have used the parts I printed for all kinds of things.  Here is a list of some of the things I have printed on my TangiBot in the past few weeks:

• Parts to fix the icemaker in my fridge (this saved me $100 in parts and $75 for a repair man)
• New parts for my tripod (this saved me $25 and 1 week I didn't have to wait for shipping)
• Parts to fix my toilet (this saved me $45 in parts and a trip to the hardware store)
• A mount for my smart phone to attach to the handlebars of my bike (similar products cost $20-25 and mine works exactly the way I want it to because I printed it)
• Custom hangers to hang things like my kids Nerf guns on the wall
• Desk accessories (pen holders, etc.)
• A penny catapult for the game SEEJ (search for SEEJ on thingiverse.com)
• Tool holders and organizers for my shop
• Drink coasters with my kids names on them
• Toys for my kids and the neighborhood kids
• Engineering prototype parts

My printer regularly runs 10-12 hours a day printing all kinds of things.  In the past few weeks my TangiBot has saved me about $300-350 because I have made things instead of having to buy them.

How much does the Plastic Cost?

Plastic can be bought from many sources on the internet.  The TangiBot uses 1.75/1.8mm filament plastic.  It can use either ABS or PLA plastic.  For 1Kg (2.2 lbs) of ABS plastic you will spend anywhere from $25-45 depending on the color and who you buy it from.  Plastic comes in all colors.  There are even special colors available like glow in the dark!
Your single extrusion TangiBot comes with 1Kg (2.2 lbs) of white ABS plastic.  The dual extrusion TangiBot comes with 2Kg of plastic - 1Kg of while and 1 Kg of black.

How much will 1Kg (2.2 lbs.) of plastic print? 

This is a tough question because it really depends on what you print.  I printed all of the stuff I listed above and used about 75% of a 1Kg spool.  Similar to a computers "draft" mode, the TangiBot has different settings you can use to control how much plastic you use when you print.  For example, you can decide if you want your parts to be anywhere from hollow to 100% solid.  In my example above, where I used 75% of a 1Kg spool, I printed most of the parts anywhere between 10% solid and 33% solid.

Why am I on Kickstarter?

I am ready to start production but don't have the money.  I need 400 people to pre-order the TangiBot so that I can begin production.  This is where you come in.  Please buy a TangiBot today.  If you are an international order please be sure to buy the international shipping as well.

How was this prototype made?

The prototype you saw in the video was made by taking parts from three different sources.

• I manufactured some of the parts locally in Utah
• I bought parts like rods, motors, linear bearings, screws, nuts, etc. from suppliers
• I took parts from a Makerbot Replicator

Before anyone cries foul and claims that using parts from a Makerbot Replicator in my prototype is cheating please consider the following. I have not yet produced any tooling to manufacture plastic parts. Plastics tooling requires a significant investment of money and yet, I need my prototype to be as close to production quality as possible. The parts I produce with my own plastic tooling will be identical to those made by Makerbot. Because of this, I used the plastic parts from a Makerbot Replicator in my TangiBot.

Who is 3DTangible?

3DTangible consists of me and a professional network of firmware, software, electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers as well as manufacturing facilities. This is the same network of professionals that I used to develop Cricut Products while I was employed by Provo Craft.
If this project funds I will need to hire a few people in the coming months to help handle things like customer service, sales and marketing. I am serious about building a world class company. As the needs of the business grow I plan on investing in the future.

The Plan

At a very high level, here are the steps that I will follow as soon as the project funds:

• Release production files for tooling
• Develop and launch company website (including customer service portal)
• Produce first round of production samples from production tooling
• Modify tooling and setup production line
• Produce final samples
• Approve golden production samples
• Produce the TangiBot
• Ship to the US
• Ship to customers

Why you can trust that 3DTangible will deliver

For the past 7 years I have been developing, producing, and supporting electronic paper cutters for Provo Craft.  Paper Cutters and 3D printers have a lot in common.  I still have access to all of the same world class resources that I had during my time at Provo Craft.  I will use this same network to produce the TangiBot and develop next generation 3D printers.
I built a prototype.  At the time of posting this Kickstarter project, it has been running from 8AM-5PM, 6 days a week for the past 3 weeks.  I have run almost 4 complete 2.2 lbs. spools of ABS through the machine and it is still going. That is almost 10 lbs. of plastic!
Since leaving my full time job in mid-May to pursue 3D printing full time I have done nothing but research, build and prepare to manufacture the TangiBot.  Before this, I have followed 3D printing very closely.  I am now at the point that I can start production tooling but I don’t have the money.  This is why I have come to Kickstarter.com.
Here is a bulleted list of some of my other qualifications:

• 7 years of experience developing, producing and supporting electronic paper cutters
• 10 years of experience in software and firmware development, support and production
• BS in Mechanical Engineering
• MS in Mechanical Engineering
• MBA – Product Development
• Established network of professionals

Please see my bio for more specific information regarding my qualifications.

Warranty and Replacements

The TangiBot does not carry any long-term warranty.  3DTangible will happily work with you to replace any manufacturer defective parts and get your TangiBot running in tip-top shape.  This is the same warranty that Makerbot provides.

Support

Support will be offered by 3DTangible through our website.  In addition, because the TangiBot is identical to The Replicator, there are also many forums and groups of users that are happy to provide tips and help.

How is 3DTangible able to make a Replicator Clone?

The MakerBot Replicator is open source.  In other words, Makerbot makes its design publically available on the internet.  Why do they do this?  Well, it may surprise some of you that Makerbot is required to do this.  You see, MakerBot used other open source designs when designing and producing their 3DPrinters.  When someone uses an open source design in their product they are required to share any improvements in the design with the world.  In other words, if you use open source and then improve on the design you have to share that improvement so that the rest of the world can benefit from it.  3DTangible will also be bound by these same laws and all the improvements we make to the design will also be shared with the public.
Just to be clear, there is nothing illegal, sneaky or underhanded going on here.  Everything is legal and fair.  Makerbot did the exact same thing when creating their business.  This is simply the way open source designs work.  Welcome to the world of open source.

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