Here in the states (specifically in my city) I have noticed more and more people printing, then selling, 3D models from creators on MW.
I am aware that most of these models have no copyright or statements on their page stating their models should not be sold but…
Would it be overstepping or, well, just being an immature idiot to send the FB Marketplace link to the creator and let them do what they will? My personal feelings is that anyone who sells someone else’s designs is a #%@$!!!
I have printed many models and figurines for my students but would NEVER sell them. Am I being a hypocrite as well as a possible tattletale?
…every single item on MakerWorld has it’s license listed for all to see, and the default when uploading models is “Standard Digital License”, which prohibits selling prints of the file.
To your main point, though, we should be looking out for each other. People stealing work from others are scum, they don’t deserve your silence. Notify the creator, and then it’s up to them to do as they please.
Well, since you asked, and not attacking, but maybe? The license Carbon posted the screenshot of says you can’t “share, sell… or distribute… 3D printed versions”.
So your activity would appear to be covered and you have a good chance of being in violation, too.
It’s a tough situation but is brought on by all those who have infringed willfully and knowingly in the past and deprived creators of lots of money. Laws were created to help stop that and now we all get to deal with the fallout.
I am not a lawyer but to answer your question, it looks like you are infringing too. Whether the creator of those models cares is another story. You might want to contact them and ask permission to give away the models. I know I’d appreciate it.
The standard digital file license really doesn’t work well for 3D print files in general.
An example I encountered recently is a friend texted me a link to a little garden clip to support tomato plants. My friend doesn’t have a 3D printer, and never will, so I happily printed him a few dozen of them for his garden. Maybe used $1.00 worth of PETG in total, and of course I didn’t take any sort of compensation for it.
Because I printed the parts for my friend, I am violating the Standard Digital License. On the other hand, if he had sliced the file and printed it on my printer using my filament, there wouldn’t be a violation, even though the result is the same in both cases. Heck, if he sliced the files and printed them on my printer and paid me, that wouldn’t be a violation, even though that IS now a commercial activity.
My view is a law that isn’t going to be enforced isn’t a law, so I have no problem printing parts for friends at no charge.
People contact me with such things, and it’s always welcome. I’m not always good at responding to people’s messages, but I do always take notice of such messages. I appreciate that others have my back.
This exact question came up previously on the forum, and oh gosh, the bickering that followed. I think the OP in that too was wanting to make stuff for their students.
I was part of that bickering too. It’s a whole rabbit hole if you want to push it. Like where does it really end…
Hahaha, Lots of this, lots of little like… you can’t print something for your wife, but you can print something for yourself and let your wife use it…
Oh boy, this is such a complex topic because of the laws.
There are licenses and the executive branch (the legislature and the state). Generally speaking, one might think that licenses are universally applicable, but in reality, each country and legislature interprets them differently.
That’s why, with a topic like this, you almost always have to ask: “Where?” …and that’s when things get complicated.
Gifts can be a source of personal enrichment without involving money, because one hopes to receive something in return and/or wants to boost one’s reputation. There are countries where gift-giving is monitored very closely, because otherwise people could just keep sending gifts back and forth and get around the rules. That’s unlikely with 3D printing, but let’s just say it’s complicated.
For example, some Asian merchants have often tried to ship goods to Europe and simply marked them as “gifts,” which, of course, didn’t go unnoticed.
Bottom line: It’s complicated. If you’re constantly giving things away - for example, to a nonprofit or to students - you might at least ask yourself, from a moral standpoint, whether it wouldn’t be nice to give the original creator at least a small tip.
Not sure what you mean exactly, it’s only a 3d model license, that’s why it was created. That’s it’s one job and it’s reason for existence. It’s not a software license applied to 3d models, if that is where you were going with your line of thought.
And as argued elsewhere to death, it’s not a license at all since it grants no rights.
I don’t see the distinction in him using your printer though but not a lawyer.
I wasn’t arguing against OP making prints to give away. He just asked and by what was quoted he is likely in violation. There’s much bigger fish to fry.
The only reason I don’t post all my stuff as open is just because I’ve been ripped off too and want to keep the right to go after anyone who takes my stuff to claim it as their own. That’s what bugs me.
Not my place to say but if people make prints of my more open stuff and even sell it I’m not really upset if credit is given and permission asked to sell. There’s a few vendors on Etsy selling my stuff and I’m fine since at least the ones I know about asked.
I’d like to see more open laws but also recognize thieves are everywhere and teeth are needed.
Just trying to figure it out myself (the “moral” question). I’m not disagreeing with your pov but to add, if I print a model on MW then “gift” it to someone, would that be any different than “giving” the model to someone? In other words, I am not making any money from someone else’s design, nor is the receiver of “my” gift.
And I get what CarbonForge is saying as well. But I will say, if anyone ever asked me to print something so they could sell it I would decline, friend or not.
Now you have me wondering…is the actual “file” the question or the result of the file (the printed model) that’s protected (?) under the Standard Digital File License?
My philosophy is that if you are unsure it’s trivial to ask the creator about what is allowed, I’ve only had one ever not reply. You can even ask if you can sell them, as long as you aren’t selling the files in my experience most just say yes.
What I mean is as written, it 1) Entitles the originator to some pretty ludicrous rights and 2) Limits the scope of use to nearly the point of uselessness and 3) There exists no practical means to enforce the majority of the license terms.
If I print a SDL - licensed frisbee and throw it to someone, that is a “transfer”. I just violated the license.
If I print a SDL-licensed item and throw it away, that’s a transfer and violates the license.
I can’t print a SDL-licensed toy and give it to my daughter.
Printing a SDL-licensed model and then posting a picture of the print to social media is distributing a derivative work of the physical format of the object and violates the license.
If I’m a contract employee at an office and print myself a SDL-licensed cup to hold my pens, I need the model creator’s permission to use it at work.
…I could go on for hours. The point that I’m making is the SDFL on MakerWorld allows me to make a print then go play with it in a dark room all by myself, and that’s about it.
Oh, yeah, exactly. It’s a cr@p license for sure. I don’t think it’s entirely Makerworld’s fault, they needed something “equivalent” to the sites they were cloning so that an existing model with a similar license could port over.
The weird thing was the removal of the commercial restriction and the previously granted personal use rights. It’s a bit ambiguous now, but I’d wonder if a hotel is within it’s rights to print 200 of Joey’s lampshades and use them, whereas they wouldn’t be in either of the older, competitor versions of that license.
That is why I think it is important to enforce an “Attribution required” part of the licensing agreement. Purely for the reason that you can easily tell if someone is going through the right process, not that attribution is that important for most.
I mean…how do you know they didn’t support their Patreon? While we know abuse is rampant, just because someone lists their model in Makerworld doesn’t mean that there isn’t a way someone can legitimately sell it, either.
I’m more worried about people stealing military tech, when you can pay someone $10 on Fiverr to make you just about anything for Bamboo.
If I am not allowed to print stuff for my friends my family or kids in the neighborhood or friends kids then I really don’t even want a printer. Sharing these prints is where the fun is at for me. I have never sold or asked or received a penny for anything I’ve printed. Use up my boosts and support the makers when I can.
