The Spark Gap Podcast

Show Synopsis

In this episode Karl and Corey talk about Corey’s newest hobby, 3D Printing.
Also, Karl gets the outcome of the 3D Systems vs. Form Labs lawsuit wrong.

SolidDoodle 3D Printers

http://www.solidoodle.com/

Solidoodle 2nd Generation 3D Printer

http://store.solidoodle.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=132

3D Systems Cube 3D Printer

Corey’s original first choice for a 3D printer: http://cubify.com/en/Cube

RepRap Community

Main website for all things reprap: http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap

Overview of the RepRap Machines:http://reprap.org/wiki/Build_A_RepRap

Sanguinololu

Control Board on the original Solidoodle 2 (and many other) 3D printers: http://reprap.org/wiki/Sanguinololu

MakerBot

Makerbot is not as old as I originally thought. It was founded in 2009. Sparkfun was founded in 2003. Adafruit was founded in 2005.

Main Website: http://www.makerbot.com/

Original Cupcake 3D Printer from Makerbot http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:457

Makerbot’s response to criticism of its closed source business model: http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2012/09/24/lets-try-that-again/

Makerbot’s currently held patents: http://www.makerbot.com/legal/patents/

Where I initially found out about the patent filing by MakerBot: http://www.openbeamusa.com/blog/2014/5/22/stay-classy-makerbot

More information about the latest patent filing by MakerBot: http://boingboing.net/2014/05/30/whats-the-story-with-the-mak.html

MakerBot’s response to the claim of prior art: http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/28/makerbot-responds-to-critics-who-claim-it-is-stealing-community-ip/

Form Labs

Form-1 3D Printer Kick Starter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/formlabs/form-1-an-affordable-professional-3d-printer

Upgraded version of the original Form 1: http://formlabs.com/products/form-1-plus/

3D Systems vs. Form Labs

I misspoke regarding the exact outcome of the lawsuit regarding 3D Systems and FormLabs.
It turns out it wasn’t solved by a simple waiting game. Many 3D printing patents have recently expired, but the one stated in 3D Systems lawsuit was still active.

Here is the timeline that I have pieced together:

First in November of 2012: 3D Systems sues Form Labs and Kickstarter over patent infringment.

http://www.wired.com/2012/11/3d-systems-formlabs-lawsuit/

Here was the patent in dispute: http://www.google.com/patents/US5597520?dq=5,597,520#v=onepage&q=5%2C597%2C520&f=false

Then in June of 2013: It seems that the lawsuit was paused by a judge because the two sides stated they were going to work on an out of court settlement.

http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2013/06/24/formlabs-3d-systems-in-settlement-talks-over-3d-printing-patent/

The most recent news as of January 2014: States that they Form Labs did not settle with 3D Systems.
3D Systems apparently dropped their suite against Kickstarter, but they expanded their suite against Form Labs. 3D Systems is claiming that Form Labs is in violation of 8 patents now.

http://www.insidecounsel.com/2014/01/07/ip-3d-printing-patent-litigation-now-the-shape-of

I have not been able to find any additional information regarding the suite.

3D Printing patents are now a pretty popular subject.

There is even a blog devoted to the subject: http://lawitm.com/

KickStarter and 3D Printers

List of all successful campaings: http://www.3dprinterworld.com/reference/3d-printers-successfully-funded-kickstarter-and-indiegogo

Printrbot

The first extremely succesful 3D printer campaign on KickStarter

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/printrbot/printrbot-your-first-3d-printer

The Micro

One of the latest successful Kickstarter campaigns

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/m3d/the-micro-the-first-truly-consumer-3d-printer?ref=discovery