Bambu Lab has another lawsuit on its hands, and this time it’s from Chinese-based toymaker Pop Mart. According to World Journal, Pop Mart is taking Bambu Lab and its MakerWorld file-sharing platform to court over alleged IP infringement involving knockoff “Labubu” 3D printing files. The trial date is set for April 2nd. This landmark case seeks to hold the platform responsible for the copyright violations of its users. Bambu Lab itself did not create or upload any of the Labubu models.
For years, IP infringement in the 3D printing world has existed in a morally gray area, with makers – and many companies – believing “fan art” is harmless fun. Many artists feel that if they aren’t directly profiting from stolen art, they aren’t hurting anyone. But we’ve seen DMCA takedowns in the past, when Disney had Star Wars models pulled from Thingiverse, and Honda demanded anything with their name on it removed from Prusa’s Printables file site. Even the humble 3D Benchy saw its derivatives yanked by an overprotective new owner.
