3D Printing and Intellectual Property

While on the topic of publishing and distribution, I want to mention the upcoming technology of 3D printing.   Using various materials, a 3D printer lets one build real-life objects from a computer generated model.  A question that immediately comes to my mind is “are these objects subject to the laws of intellectual property?”  I found talk online about copyright and patent disputes, which eventually lead me to the IP laws section of MakerBot. 

MakerBot is one of the leaders in the 3D printer industry, and they sponsor the website Thingiverse.com.  This site showcases designs that can be created digitally and manifested physically.  One of the areas featured here is a Tools section, and it made me think about a potential hardware company that uses 3D printing technology to design and produce tools.

How would the company register the design templates created with computers that would be the basis of their livelihood?  Would they copyright the material, apply for patents, or could the templates be considered a trade secret of a company?

Another site I found is Sculpteo.  Sculpteo seems much more design based, and focusing on the art community.  Sculpteo does have a store section, and it appears you can register as a vendor through its store.  I was interested in what sort of contract your participation at Sculpteo entailed, and I found the Terms of Use section.  It outlines their Characteristics of Goods and Services Proposed, which includes the following:

 i.               SCULPTEO proposes a personalised 3D reproduction service. Based on an image supplied by the CUSTOMER, SCULPTEO will create a concrete object: interior decoration, figure, robot, miniature, maquette (hereinafter referred to as the “OBJECT”).

ii.               SCULPTEO also produces 3D images shown in the catalogue published on the website “http:// www.sculpteo.com” available to CUSTOMERS.

iii.               The 3D images shown in the catalogue published on the website “http:// www.sculpteo.com” are as faithful a representation as possible but do not guarantee perfect similarity with the OBJECT (in particular with regards to colour and execution).

I’m interested to try this technology as an end user, and I would love to create a design as well!