[ti:Legal Aspects of 3-D Printing]
[ar:Jonathan Evans]
[al:Technology Report]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]From VOA Learning English,
[00:03.26]this is the Technology Report.
[00:06.02]There are increasing calls for lawmakers
[00:10.43]to reconsider copyright laws
[00:13.47]that protect the owners of 3-D printing designs.
[00:18.89]But there is also concern that extensive laws
[00:23.84]could suppress new ideas.
[00:27.65]3-D printers have spread from scientific labs
[00:32.31]to industrial workshops to private homes.
[00:37.03]And prices of 3-D printers continue to drop.
[00:42.85]Designers demonstrate a large number
[00:47.05]of different machines at 3-D print shows.
[00:51.31]There are models that can produce
[00:54.16]complex copies of human organs.
[00:58.12]There are less costly 3-D printers
[01:01.58]that make toys for children
[01:04.43]or parts for home electrical devices.
[01:07.92]One German automaker recently demonstrated
[01:13.06]an example of a car structure printed in one piece.
[01:18.38]And a Chinese manufacturer
[01:20.89]advertised a house created in a 3-D printer.
[01:26.44]With the help of computer,
[01:29.20]almost anyone can print exact copies of many kinds of objects.
[01:36.66]But they also violate the law in doing so.
[01:42.23]Julie Samuels is a lawyer with the civil liberties group,
[01:48.30]Electronic Frontier Foundation.
[01:51.09]She says people should be careful about
[01:54.40]what they create when using 3-D printers.
[01:58.47]"If a certain design that you want to print
[02:00.89]is covered by copyright,
[02:01.93]then if you print that you are infringing,
[02:04.79]arguably, someone's copyright," said Julie Samuels.
[02:06.74]But 3-D companies are concerned about
[02:10.60]passing more restrictive copyright protection laws.
[02:14.47]They think these laws could place bans
[02:18.03]on the rights of citizens.
[02:21.14]They also believe restrictive copyright laws
[02:25.35]could suppress technological invention.
[02:29.57]Cydni Tetro is the founder of the website 3DPlus.me.
[02:37.54]She says she expects to see special permission documents
[02:43.22]for 3-D printing very soon.
[02:46.68]"All of those companies are in very active engagements right now
[02:49.85]about how they'll deploy 3-D printed products over the next year,
[02:54.01]and we're going to see that," said Tetro.
[02:55.16]Diego Porqueras designs 3-D printers.
[03:00.38]He says owners of 3-D printers
[03:03.83]and copyright owners should reach an agreement.
[03:07.86]"If companies really take advantage of that
[03:10.28]and just charge nominal fees to download your favorite character
[03:14.28]off 'Star Wars' and 3-D print it,
[03:15.69]I think that's going to prevent a lot more piracy," said Porqueras.
[03:19.55]The lack of legislation related to 3-D printing
[03:23.75]will not stop the technology from spreading,
[03:27.50]but experts say they hope new laws will not punish people
[03:33.87]for printing a copy of something for their personal use.
[03:38.83]And that's the VOA Learning English Technology Report.
[03:44.15]For more technology stories,
[03:46.76]visit our website 51voa.com,
[03:53.78]I'm Jonathan Evans.
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