I don’t understand this topic, you make a storm in a washbowl. These things don’t represent high value intellectual property, and actually they are barely usable, because unlike real open-source things, the designers here share only the .stl files. Because of closed sources, it’s very hard to improve things, actually you have to start the designing from scratch. The .stl files are not really modifiable, you can’t reproduce the original model directly. I never understood why people so mingy on these sites. They could share the real 3D models (.sldprt, .step, .f3d … so on…), that would be useful, but no, they share only the printable mesh. Why is that ? It’s almost sure that I’d like to modify your design. Do you know that the whole linux is open source and they share the real sources, and anyone can reproduce anything? Probably you don’t. And really who cares if someone uses a cat photo that he’s “stolen”, jeeez? What does it mean “Remix culture allowed” ? You allow that someone modify the model, but only the .stl mesh, let him struggle with it, the longer pain the better.
Sounds like someone who has no problem stealing from others.
That begs the question, is it stealing if the other person gives the item away freely?
Most likely, if you don’t understand then why criticize us for using the report function to keep the community fair?
Like @xsynatic said, sounds exactly the mentality of a thief.
That thief stole the design from someone, and won rewards of $$$ dollars from Bambu. That money should have been credit to the original designer not the thief.
If these are allowed, thief can just steal the world most popular model. Wins $200-$500 award.
You have to check the designer CC license requirement for re-share, re-mix.
If allowed re-share + attribute given back. That’s not stealing.
As I said these things don’t represent high value as intellectual property. And a lot of them are very similar. I’m a linux developer, and it’s very-very strange to hear these complaints. Just like little kids. I see huge open-source projects every day, something that is made for years by a dozen programmers. And it’s free and open-source and that is totally normal and in that other world. You word “stealing” is a little harsh to me.
But it’s okay to print as many copies of the model and give them away?
Not sure where are you getting at, this is about the blueprint not the post manufactured. As long designer said, not for commercial or sold for $.
Please refer to CC license.
You can listen to songs on Spotify for free. Does that mean you can do whatever you want with them? No. ToS and Licenses apply.
If i publish a model free means you can use it, as long as it follows the license.
Like this. If i publish a model and allow the reupload on any site as long as you give me a proper credit/link to the original, then it’s all fine. (As long as you do)
If you understand why these sites don’t share the sources of the 3D models, please enlighten me. It’s a habit. But can you tell me a reason?
One day I searched for “honeycomb” in one of the 3D print sites. And I found many-many similar things. No one can tell you who’s idea was original who was impressed by others. When you want to create a box, there are not so many possibilities, therefore you can’t hold any copyright or patent or whatever claims for such simple things.
You’d be surprised what kinds of copyrights and patents were granted.
A definition of a patent that it must be original and new an advancement. You can’t
get a patent for a wheel, although it’s not patented but it can’t be original, it was created thousands of years ago. And your patent (even if just pending) would block anyone else to make a wheel without paying to you. Similarly it’s hard to tell what is the really original idea in these 3D sites. Most probably not much. Everybody takes ideas from the world, from this and that place. And it’s not stealing at all. Don’t take it so seriously, the life is not so black and white.
Fighting for copyright, patents are not new in the industries (Apple, MS, Google etc).
At least we have some moderation for things we designed and post online. There is a reason why these reporting tools exist. Without them, designer will not even bother to participate MakerWorld, Printables, points & contests, etc.
I would rather just full on keep blueprint myself and sell on Etsy as post-production because knowing if I share on those platforms - someone will take advantage of my hours of work and make money of me.
You asked why share it free then? Some designers do it to promote their brands, portfolios, recognition by sharing or to give back to the community. Some do it for contests, earn points of course.
Yes, there are some generous designers giveaway with CC0 1.0 Universal. There are designers give away free design but must credit back CC 4.0.
Without any moderations, every sharing site will be a poop show.
I enjoy sharing my designs. I feel no obligation to share all of the source files. I don’t think anyone should, and I feel it’s ridiculous to chastise others that don’t. I don’t need to give you the key to every lock I hold. What I choose or choose not to share, and at what level, is up to me.
More and more too, 3d printing isn’t just about utility. It has become an expression of art in design. My final design that I share online, that is my piece of art. I don’t care to give you the brushes and paints I used to make it, that’s not what it’s about. You can take what I give and modify it, I can’t stop that anymore than a traditional painter can stop you from modifying their painter after you’ve acquired it. You can take my design too and enjoy it for what it is.
People care because of that. Because they don’t want others taking their work, their art, and going around and claiming it’s theirs. Especially so when they are claiming it to gain rewards or whatever. This goes both ways too, because users want to be able to trust the site, and the designers!
And to that, more and more, users of 3d printers aren’t just very techy people. Not everyone comes into this with the tools or knowhow to edit everything they want. They want a trusted platform where there are designers making stuff they know will work. And this isn’t a bad thing. Not everyone has to be mr super linux user. I think it’s incredible this idea, that anyone can use the 3d printer. I’ve talked to several people that don’t even have computers, but they have the A1, the A1 Mini, and they’re printing from their phone.
I think there’s a lot of value in strengthening the community and building that trust. Part of that is not just treating it as whatever, but giving respect to the designers that help build this community through their time and work, through their art. And allowing those people to share at the level they’re comfortable with.
And at the same time, licenses (like GPL) are what have allowed Linux to exist and grow. Free and open-source doesn’t mean take and do whatever you like with it. That ignorance or indifference is what is pushing some companies and projects to begin acquiring patents to protect the community from commercial use and abuse. I’m also sure you would look differently on chunks of your code being taken and someone else claiming it as their own. Besides, it’s perfectly fine if it doesn’t represent high value IP, or looks like every other block of code that does the same task.
It’s all rather simple. Just follow the original author’s license. If you don’t like or agree with it find another model, library or whatever product. If that doesn’t work, create your own and license it as you see fit.
You are comparing apple to oranges. Open source software is by design a collaborative effort.
Someone designing a 3D model and sharing it on a maker site is not the same, unless they agree to give away all the rights to the design.
The OP is reporting someone copying someone else’s work and claiming it as their own. The design “thief” is not remixing or improving anything.
The original designer gets no credit and in the case of a contest, the rest of the rule following participants get cheated out of prizes.
The perceived “value” of the design should make no difference.
Otherwise, where do you draw the line between “low value” and “significant value”?
And STLs can be modified pretty easily with decent CAD software.
And who said that? You are fighting with a straw-man. You fabricate a statement then you falsify it. I didn’t say that you can do anything you want with opensource. But you can have the real source, you can use it to create something new, you can improve it. Somehow none of you understand how unbelievably noob thing that “you can remix this, you can modify this, remix culture is welcome, but I’ll make it hard as I can 
”. And meanwhile those things at linux has real value. Many-many invested developing time. And here I can find many colorful cofee-mug, a simple cylinder anyone can make it in few hours. And you guys you think that you created something nice, and others must be happy if you share it. Very childish. Don’t mistake me, I don’t need your work. I can do a better one that fits better to my needs.
And another thing: you are talking about copyright of shared public things. The copyright meaning in this case has only one meaning “I made this not you, not her, not him, but only me, alone !!! Lexi.” Are you really so vain, is this so important indeed?
Don’t be noob, its very hard to handle and .stl because it contains a lot of elemental (triangular) surfaces. A mid-complicated model can have even 100,000 mesh elements, very hard to move, modify, rotate it, not mentioning that it’s inaccurate a circle diameter is 9.91 mm not 10, but something random rounded. Of course the simple .stl files can be handled well, but then it comes the other rule: why do you think that as simple cylinder or sphere is so valuable that you have to defend it till the end of the world.
Common sense, you can see the difference between a Debian Bookworm Distribution with the 6.2 Linux Kernel and a cafee-mug in .stl file, I guess so
Now they are not so similar as 2 fruits. I just try to explain how petty, jerkwatery problem this is.
This is true but I don’t care if someone lies about it. I wouldn’t make claim for the copyright because it has no meaning with a thing that I created in 3 hours. I don’t understand the patient either what does he gain about “stealing” it? Will be famous? No, nothing 
He must be sick or something. Or maybe an inferiority complex?
I’ve stopped reporting models. There’s so many that are blatant theft and I provide links and all that to prove it and it gets rejected and the models are still up. If they want their site know for being full of people ripping of others work to earn points, fine.
Diru3D? I reported him and called him out on FB group as well. He even send me angry massage defending himself.