Concerns have been raised that the upsurge of 3D printing technologywould disrupt the patent system. The central question the present paper aims toaddress is whether and to what extent the emergence of 3D printing technologyindeed urges us to rethink patent law. The paper splits up this question by looking attwo facets in more depth – patentability and infringement – through the lens ofpertinent European and US law. In order to provide a better understanding on thereach of patentability and infringement theory and practice and their possibleinterpretation in a 3D printing context, a set of different scenarios is establishedcovering the perspectives from rights holders (inventors/producers) and users(hobbyists/consumers). The paper concludes, first and foremost, that the wideuptake of 3D printing does not challenge the basic premises of patent law. Asregards patentability, 3D printing does not upset patentability theory in general: itdoes not challenge prevailing concepts of patentable subject matter, nor currentpatentability requirements. On the other hand, digitized fabrication might wellchallenge the type/token dichotomy on which patent ontology is founded. Asregards infringement, 3D printing does not really upset infringement theory either: itdoes not fundamentally alter the scope of rights, concepts or direct/indirectinfringement assessment traditions. The paper further concludes that the emergenceof 3D printing and the decentralization of production it entails, may lead to a widerand more dispersed scale of infringement, and does call into question the adequacyof current enforcement tools and strategies. A lack of adequate enforcement

EB00000002851K			Available
EB00000002854K			Available

• 3D Printing and Patent Law: A Disruptive TechnologyDisrupting Patent Law?