The Next Great Disruptive Technology Opportunity Or Threat? 3D Printing And The Future Of Complex Legal Challenges
October 2014 By Thomas Dubuisson , LL.M [1] @tdubuisson - tom.dubuisson@gmail.com INTRODUCTION As it is common with disruptive technologies, the advent of 3D printing brought with it a variety of legal challenges, including intellectual property concerns. In 2014, the 3D printing technology is not futuristic sci-fi anymore. Goldman Sachs, in a recent Global Investment Research report entitled The Search for Creative Destruction [2] , included 3D printing in a list of seven technologies that are reshaping the way we live and are reinventing, the notion of what’s possible [3] . There is not a day anymore when you don’t hear about this technology. Examples are legion, such as: Philips announced a collection of new 3D-printed lamp line [4] ”; NASA customized spacecraft and instrument parts using 3D printing [5] , New Balance is introducing a track-specific running shoe that uses 3-D printing to create a plate on the sole of the shoe that is supposed to enhance perform...