3D Printing and intellectual property futures

This report contains socio-legal research conducted on the relationship between 3D printing and intellectual property (IP) at the current point in time and in potential future scenarios, through the use of horizon-scanning methods in six countries — China, France, India, Russia, Singapore and the UK - to build a rich picture of this issue, comprising both developed and emerging economies. In our project, we have collected valuable information ‘from the ground’ on the past and present of 3D printing and IP in these different countries. Another novelty of our project is the futures projections we led in each place, in order to understand potential trajectories going forward for 3D printing and IP, and to understand the extent to which a harmonised or fragmented global picture can be constructed. Our interdisciplinary, international team, combining legal, business and social scientific regional expertise on 3D printing, has used cutting edge and novel empirical methods in order to pioneer a deeper probing of the ramifications of 3D printing, going further than prior commentary through methodological innovation and an international focus on 3D printing and IP.