3-D Printing Your Way down the Garden Path: 3-D Printers, the Copyrightization of Patents, and a Method for Manufacturers to Avoid the Entertainment Industry’s Fate Joseph C. Storch* A pdf version of this article may be downloaded here. Introduction A. A Brief History of Reacting to Technological Change I. Copyright and Patent Law Exist to Advance Society, Not to Protect Artists II. Three Types of Monopolies Protect From Copying III. Intellectual Property’s Lost Technological Monopoly Exposes a Weak Legal Monopoly A. A History of Sharing Copyrighted Content B. Napster Shepherds in an Era of Digital Frictionless Sharing C. Similarities and Differences of Copyright and Patent Law IV. Using the Legal System to Enforce Copyright Backfired and Set a Price on Violations V. Morals to Markets: A Fine is a Price VI. Peer-To-Peer File Sharing: A Lawsuit Settlement Sets a Price A. Incentives to Settle for Plaintiffs and Defendants B. With the Market Price Set, Prospect Theory Predicts Risk Taking in Avoiding Loss VII. Using the Legislative System to Crack Down on Copyright Violations A. Interest Group Politics Historically Carried the Day on Intellectual Property Changes B. Diffuse Opposition Solidifies and Strengthens Through the Internet and Social Media VIII. More People Violating Copyright Law Leads More People to Violate Copyright Law IX. A Technological Problem with a Technological Solution? X. Pricing Monopoly and Market Goods XI. Taking the Lessons of the Recording Industry to Heart for Tangible Goods A. Manufacturers Can Hang Together, or Hang Separately XII. A Moral Solution When Technological and Legal Monopolies Fail XIII. An Alternative Thesis Conclusion Continue reading →
