Good news from the US Copyright Office.  Three years ago I petitioned the US Copyright Office asking it to confirm that using unapproved print material in a 3D printer did not violate US copyright law.  The Copyright Office granted the petition (with some important caveats).  However, the process driving the entire enterprise requires that petitions be renewed every three years.  Earlier this year I petitioned for a renewal, and last week that renewal was granted.  

One of the issues that continues to vex the open source hardware community is licensing.  The reason for this is simple: licensing in open source hardware is hard.  From an IP standpoint, open source software is basically a single blob of stuff comprehensively covered by a single copyright.  That means you can pick a single copyright license and be done.

Four and a half years ago, in the wake of HBO’s decision to send a DMCA notice removing a 3D printed Game of Thrones iPhone dock from the internet, I wrote a short blog post titled HBO, Give People a Way to Buy Your 3D Printed Stuff for the Public Knowledge blog.  Today I get to write a post celebrating the fact that Valve has decided to do just that.

In August I filed a petition with the US Copyright Office asking to renew the current rule that allows owners of 3D printers to use whatever filament or material they want in their printers.  This petition, which is part of the Copyright Office’s triennial 1201 rulemaking process, was aimed at renewing the exemption granted three years ago.  Today I filed a new petition asking the Copyright Office to go further and expand its existing petition so it makes sense.

Today I, along with the Owners’ Rights Initiative, filed a petition with the US Copyright Office asking them to renew the exemption that allows people to unlock their 3D printers and use whatever material in the printers they wish.  This is a request to renew the exemption that the Copyright Office originally granted back in 2015.  You can read about that exemption here.