That guy who changed his comment is the same guy I’m dealing with. He changed his name from userxxxxxx to lukeskywalker.
Imagine having the balls to ask someone to tell you how they make something so you can copy it…wow.
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I picked up on that. Just because I am pretty, doesn’t mean I am stupid.
There are other really good reasons why I am stupid.
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You’re pretty?!
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I am working with a bunch of creators now for over 4 months in order to address copyright- and license violations.
Started really innocent: I got an Email that one of the models files I bought had an update but my security suite did not like the tracker that came with the link.
So I did a quick online search for the model name to download the updated files.
To my surprise the first two results where for websites I never heard before. so I checked them.
Same files, same pics, same description and listed print recommendations, just the name of the creator was removed from all.
And well, the files were outdated and a few versions behind.
Contacted the creator, gave the links and stated how disgusting it is that not even any credit was given, despite the creator not even getting a single cent for those models.
From there, what was supposed to be a simple takedown notice, turn sour really fast.
The request to have the files removed was rejected by the site stating they would not impose restrictions on their creative work - Whiskey Tango Foxtrot ??!!
The thieves bluntly replied to the creators “You want to get rich with your cr@p, I give people what they want for free, sue me if you dare!”
In all fairness, 3DCults, where most of “my” creators host their models tried to step in, even involved their legal team - to no avail.
The servers hosting the website offering these free services are located on the Cayman Island - I did not even know they do more than banking over there…
The fake company running the website is listed to be in Moldavia…
Not even a snowball’s chance in hell to send lawyers in the hope they would be able to do anything.
I made the suggestion to check whether or not 3DCults could start a legal claim as a company for the violation of their T’s & C’s, considering we worked out that hundreds of models were stolen from their site.
According to the creator who still keeps me in the loop 3DCults replied they could only try a DNS takedown based on US laws.
This would be a very costly process and only affect users in the US if successful - they would no longer be able to reach this site unless going with the IP of the site instead of the name.
Since those files are downloaded all over the world the benefit would not justify the costs …
The website in question had about 3000 stolen models listed when I accidentally found them a few months back, now they host close to 5000 models.
Some of which costs you a decent amount of money if you would do the right thing and download from where the creators uploaded they creations.
They even gloat by showing the number of download for the models, not sure though if these numbers are genuine.
If they are and we would say the average price for a model from the creator would be 15 bucks:
The combined loss for the creators is over 1.5 million already.
And the site only charges you 7.99 - what a bargain indeed for those expensive models, making at least over half a million in profit for those running this scam.
In less than a half a year and with the illegal profits climbing faster every month.
It is just one of the now about 8 big sites I found that mainly offer stolen content and this knowingly…
I had rather long exchanges with a few creators as they were not even aware they work was stolen and while being great creators - they are about as computer literate as my grandmother, may she rest in piece…
And same story for the support of some hosting sites.
If you got the consent of the creator and their personal details than you just can’t say no when ask for help with takedown requests for sites you found…
You learn a lot when dealing with the support to work out how stolen content might be removed from offending sites with their help…
Like that there does not really seem to be any interest in making it happen.
I kept and still keep getting this feeling that asking for help on things that affect their site and services is seen as a hassle that is best to be avoided.
Not so much if some thief is dumb enough to upload stolen models in their name on reputable sites.
Here it seems that finally some cooperation and not just competition is happening.
What’s bad for you now might be bad for me later, so why not work together…
Problem is that all it requires human resources and with that things not always go fast and certainly not always right.
For those websites intentionally offering stolen content though 
You try once with no luck, might try again with no luck but after that you just won’t bother again and waste resources - and that is why the problem keep getting worse.
Some might be aware that there is people watching or downloading movies, TV shows and more that are copyright protected and often still running in cinemas.
To find those downloads they use dedicated search engines or websites hosting links to the stolen content.
Similar ‘services’ are now starting to pop up for not just 3D modelling software, paid slicers and such but also for copyright or license protected 3D models.
What started a bit like movie piracy for commercial models, mainly those provided by companies for their customers quickly started to include what we create and offer.
If it is in demand it worth to be stolen and if it already is we can just include it in our collection as well.
You can search through categories, model names (or parts of it) and can sort the results in several ways, including for the price to find the cheapest of a free offer.
Right now you need to still know how to find those sites or use a proper search engine that is not owned by Alphabet, Microsoft or such.
But for the later the search result for those pages keeps moving up and already made it onto the single digit pages.
Anyone bored enough to scroll a few pages and checking results will sooner or later find those pages, with that click they bump up the place in the results and more people can stumble upon these criminal sites.
I said it a few times and still stand behind it:
What we need is a hosting site run by creators, in the hand of the creators and with some meaningful sponsors offering financial support and not just vouchers for filament or parts.
Come and see what our creators have to offer, but in order to download files, paid of free ones you have to register and that in a verifiable fashion.
You accept that files might be protected in order to track down illegal ‘sharing’ of downloaded files.
You accept that as a new user or creator you are subject to limitations and restrictions until a certain level of reputation is reached in order to guarantee the quality of the site and models.
…
You get the idea here - the creators make the rules, the creators are in charge and the creators, not the hoster get the financial benefit and not just scraps.
Within a year or two a site in the hands of creators that have the same goals would be a force to reckon with.
Yes, it means we would need creators that can do more that creating models to get started.
Admins, moderators, those seeking and signing up sponsors, hopefully some with a bit of a legal background.
Once established though we could afford to pay people to do the most demanding and time consuming things without having to give up the control.
Maybe one day once enough creators got stung often enough…
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I am new to 3D printing, and would like to know how I would be able to tell if a model I download and print is the original or a copy? I don’t want to give credit to someone who just stole a design from someone else!
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If you downloaded and like something, thank the person.
Do not feel overly concerned that the person you got it from stole it.
You are not part of the problem and there isn’t an easy way to be part of the solution,
If you find out it was stolen later on, consider thanking the original owner as that information would have been part of the theft info.
If you truly wish to double-check, consider checking the comments in a model, perform a reverse image search in Google. Take a look at the models on the other sites and see if there is anything that looks annoyingly similar.
If you spot a model you know is stolen or you have a belief it has been. Report it and tell the original owner. Most sites have a date of upload.
Things to be conscious of though.
- Designer A could be on site A and z designer A could be on site B, you may not realise they are the same designer and end up accusing the designer of stealing their own work.
- Designer A uploads to a different site, bad person downloads it and uploads it on MW (as an example), Designer A adds their library to MW unaware their work was stolen) it now looks like Designer A has stolen the bad persons work because the dates are reversed.
- The licence from Designer A might allowing sharing without attribution, check the licence before saying anything.
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It’s tough. Best ways I know of are to do image searches using their photos (since many thieves also steal the photos) or subject searches describing the actual print.
There is a lot that you pick up just browsing the models. You start getting familiar with people’s work and will start recognizing things you’ve seen before.
There’s also clues especially if the thief is lazy. Elaborate models tend to have more text to help users get good prints. Some copy that too but for many that’s time wasted when they could steal other models.
But you may still find you were duped. At least you will have tried.
I’m using Google lens to find out if the image is original.
For STL/files, I’m using Thangs. I often start by using their search tool to find similarities between 3d files.
It’s like a Google lens but for 3d files. It rarely works bit when it does, results are pretty good.
And if it thing nothing on the 3d file search, I’m just using their search tool by keywords.
One of the key issues is that MW offers tangible rewards for content posted there. This may give designers a false sense of the value of their creations, while also providing an easy win for those who steal designs. Another factor is that people judge others by their own standards. For instance, in some parts of the world, you can leave your car unlocked without concern, while in others, you wouldn’t dare drive through. All these individuals, with their varying perspectives and values, are now viewing your designs.
If you’re sharing your designs for free online, it can be perceived as a sign that you don’t value them—so why be upset if others use them however they please? If someone profits more than you by selling your designs, the question might arise: why aren’t you selling them yourself? The reality is, you can’t truly protect your designs or files, even if you sell them individually. No matter what you believe should happen, you likely lack the resources to prevent misuse.
So, what can you, as a designer, do about it? Reflect on what you can control—your own actions. You can’t change the behaviour of others. Avoid giving away work for free, except perhaps for ‘advertising’ pieces that you have no concerns about. This way, at least you receive some tangible reward before someone else takes your design, sells it on Etsy for double the price, and makes more sales because they’re better at promotion and didn’t waste time designing it. This, in essence, is what MW does—it profits more from your work than you do.
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Or, and hear me out, you DO value them enough to share with the community, and some scummy chap comes around and takes advantage of that knowing he’s not supposed to. While I agree, beyond the license you can’t control that from happening, you have every right to be irritated once it does and seek a remedy. Value is not just in finacial gain.
I think I may be reading that paragraph wrong. It sounds like it’s blaming the designer and not the one that steals the design.
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Exactly. The argument that everyone else is doing it, doesn’t make it right.
The fatalistic “well you should expect that to happen” is almost as bad.
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I’m not blaming the designer, except for perhaps not fully realising that the real world doesn’t align with their hopes or expectations. Across societies, we’ve seen morality and honesty deteriorate over the years. For example, shoplifting has increased to the point where, in some places, it’s considered not worth pursuing if the stolen goods are below a certain value. Ultimately, it’s the rest of society and the shopkeeper who pay the price. Shopkeepers raise prices to cover losses, making the goods even more valuable to steal. I’m not sure if living in a society with zero tolerance for such crimes would be better.
Now, we’re in a situation where ‘virtual shoplifters’ steal content from across the globe, under anonymity, and resell it to virtual pawnbrokers. This is the reality of today’s world. It’s similar to putting a rotten apple in a box of good ones – the good apples turn bad, but putting a good apple in a box of rotten ones doesn’t make them better. The point is: don’t mix the two.
What I’m saying is that you need to accept this reality and stop complaining, and instead, take action to change things in a way that matters to you. Once you put something on the web, it’s no longer truly yours. You lose ownership the moment it’s shared.
Is there a solution? Not a perfect one, but there are ways to improve the situation. Make it harder for theft to occur. As mentioned earlier by someone in this thread, consider creating a site with like-minded designers and gatekeeping access. Only allow those who log in as members, providing full details, to purchase your designs. You’ll need to put in the effort to verify them. While buyers can still resell your designs or have them stolen, you can take steps to make it more difficult. This might involve extra work on your part, but there’s no reward without effort. Add value to your designs – perhaps include a component only you can provide, use time stamps, or prevent multiple uses of your design. You could even consider supplying a physical ‘dongle’ or similar protection.
In my view, when MW started paying people for posting designs, it was clear there would be issues – their focus was quantity over quality. I wonder why people bother downloading from there, but I suppose many who own printers either lack the skill or time to create even a simple STL file.
Of course, this level of effort may not be necessary for simple items like toys or brackets, which is what I see a lot of on MW and similar sites. However, for the designers expressing concern in this thread, there’s an opportunity here – you can push yourselves to create more original, thoughtful designs that truly stand out. By doing so, you’ll make your work more valuable and something people are willing to pay for, rather than just accepting the loss to the masses.
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Ok, I agree. This is one of the reasons I wish to live away from everyone and grow my own filament.
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The countyside is nice. Let’s all move to the countryside. 
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It’s easy! That’s all you need to do. And have moderators, admins, security, hosting servers, content, backups, legal resources, users, etc.
It’s certainly not impossible to do. We’re on one now. But it is a full time job for multiple people if you do it right. How will all of it be paid for? A free service hosting 3D designs will quickly turn into either a huge mess or a money pit. It could also turn into a huge liability because it will have to contend with international laws, too, and failures to keep illegal stuff off of it could bring lawsuits.
It’s not helpful to trivialize alternatives. What you propose isn’t easy or cheap to do properly. The devil is in the details.
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I never suggested the platform should be free. Sustainable ventures should absolutely have a financial model in place. As for international laws, I don’t see how they would be a significant issue either. When you have clear control over both buyers and sellers, it’s easier to maintain compliance, unlike most other open, unregulated sharing sites.
It’s important not to fall into the trap of dismissing ideas because they seem challenging. Yes, there are always complexities, but focusing solely on the difficulties only keeps you in the same place. Every major platform started small and faced similar obstacles, but they didn’t stop because the details seemed daunting.
Progress comes from doing things differently, and gatekeeping ideas with the assumption they’re too hard only ensures that nothing ever changes. Designers, especially, have the creative power to push boundaries, and that’s what makes their work stand out. If we just swim with the crowd, we’ll all end up in the same stagnant pool.
Then get busy. I never said you said that it should be free. I specifically asked “How will all of it be paid for?” I said it’s going to cost real money to do because you will need all sorts of things that cost money. And if you think you don’t need to consider legal help, wait until you get takedown notices or demands for histories on users, or maybe get involved in a lawsuit for hosting a model that has injured someone. These are international now by nature. You may think you don’t have to care about other laws but you would be wrong. Other countries can have reach through cooperation treaties, etc.
I didn’t say it would be impossible. I specifically said it could be done and gave an example. But it’s not near so easy as one might think with your urging to “create a site”. I know it would be challenging. That’s my whole point. I’m curious why you urge others to do it but aren’t doing it yourself?
I’m out. You do as you please. I was only saying there is a lot to consider about creation, maintenance, and day to day operation that just saying “create a site” leaves out.
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I’ll leave it there, then. I’ve explained the real situation and suggested a possible way to improve things. It’s up to others to consider these points moving forward.
Amen to that! We’ve been asking this privately to MW for 1 year!
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We need to remember something…uploading the designs on MW isn’t for free!! To me it gave the opportunity to order 2 X1c with ams in a few months (that is 3000€)
So if I value my design, I upload it on Makerworld and it gives me the possibility to earn, even if not directly in money.
But the models are still my creations, and I don’t want someone else to modify, sell or take any other advantage from my work…ideally!
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