So with the exclusivity on Makerworld this means the STL must be exclusive to the site, what about giving somebody the right to Print and Sell the model (not the STL - only the model), is that allowed under the program?
Yes, that’s allowed. (25 characters)
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Do we have a source on this? At the start, everyone assumed it wasn’t allowed.
It’s in the general terms and conditions of makerworld.
I don’t recall anyone ever suggesting otherwise, let alone everyone.
This is about the exclusive program
Yes, that is what I was referring to.
This was the question:
Nothing in the exclusivity program changed the creator’s rights to allow someone to print and sell models. It is still their property and they still have all of the IP rights.
The User retains any and all IP Rights in the User Content that the User may have. MakerWorld does not claim ownership of the User Content. The User is solely responsible for the User Content and assumes any and all risks associated with use of the User Content, including any reliance on its accuracy, completeness, or usefulness by others, or any disclosure of the User Content by the User that makes the User or any third party personally identifiable.
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But it also says this:
2.3 Exclusive Model Program
Under this Program, a Creator publishes their Model exclusively on MakerWorld. To join this program, the Model must be made exclusively available on MakerWorld and must be removed from any other platform before being posted, published, or shared on MakerWorld. For more information on the requirements and benefits of this program, please review section 5.
This is an interesting wording, as the agreement earlier mentioned “3D model platforms” explicitly, so here they refer to platforms in general. This mean you can’t sell it online.
There is no strict differentiation between the digital model and the printed model.
If you interpret it that way, you can do whatever you want with your model, except for what is excluded:
2.3 Exclusive Model Program
Under this Program, a Creator publishes their Model exclusively on MakerWorld. To join this program, the Model must be made exclusively available on MakerWorld and must be removed from any other platform before being posted, published, or shared on MakerWorld.
Accordingly, you may also create your own derivations from them and upload them to Makerworld as exclusive. In addition, you may sell your own models in physical form, but also sell digital copies of your models. You may allow third parties to do the same. The only exception would be: All people involved are not permitted to publish the model on other platforms.
Having to consult a lawyer to share models is where I draw the line. No exclusive program for me.
Besides, there’s other places to post models and get perks. As Bambu gets less responsive I want to keep my options open and not encumbered.
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The following is taken from a MakerWorld post on another thread.
You retain all rights. You can sell you own models and you can grant permission for others to sell them. A person just can’t download your model and sell it without your permission.
The exclusive parts just means you can’t have the model available on Thingiverse, Printables, Thangs, etc. You can sell a commercial license membership over at Patreon, but you would refer backers to the Makerworld page to download the file.
Markerworld is working on setting up a means for designers to sell a commercial license within their site, probably much like Patreon or Thangs does. That will be another nice thing for designers. I have been procrastinating setting up a patreon, but I’ve sold permission privately through messaging and Venmo for those who have asked.
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There really isn’t anything that section 2.3 that prohibits you from making derivatives and publishing them on non-MW platforms either, but I wouldn’t recommend it if they look the same. Not because you’d be violating anything, but it is unlikely they will make that distinction and they might remove the exclusive status from your model if they spot one that looks similar elsewhere.
It defines model as a file.
2.7 Model
A unique digital 3D model file created and posted by a Creator.