This blog post takes a balanced look at the regulatory and intellectual property issues raised by the innovations in life that 3D printer technology will bring.
What if you could wear clothes that you designed yourself, right in front of your eyes, and wear them right away? What if you could easily make the food you want to eat without having to go to a restaurant or cook it yourself? These things that you might have seen in a science fiction movie are coming to life in our real lives thanks to the development of 3D printers. This technology is not just a figment of imagination, but is becoming increasingly more real in modern society. 3D printers are driving innovation in various fields, and their range of applications is expanding day by day.
A 3D printer is a printer that adds a z-axis movement to a conventional printer that moves along the x-axis and y-axis and prints 2D images by spraying ink onto paper, allowing it to print three-dimensional objects. 3D printers were originally designed to create prototypes before commercializing products, and were limited to making plastic materials, but they have since continued to evolve and are now at the level of making artificial organs and kitchen appliances. For example, in the United States, 3D printing technology has recently been developed to create body tissues such as ears, muscles, and jawbones that can be implanted into the body. This has led to innovative advances in the medical field and is expected to help people overcome physical limitations.
While there is little doubt that 3D printers will play an important role in making our lives easier, the view of 3D printers is not always positive. This is because the changes that this technology will bring will not only have positive aspects but also various social and ethical issues.
The most widely discussed issue with 3D printers is related to intellectual property rights. Since anyone can use a 3D printer to create something with only a design drawing, some are seriously pointing out intellectual property issues such as illegal copying. If proper countermeasures are not taken, it is pointed out that this could cause serious social disruption stemming from legal confusion. This is not the only issue that has been discussed as a problem with 3D printers. Recently, a group called Defense Distributed, which has been researching the production of firearms using 3D printing, succeeded in firing a plastic pistol using a 3D printer, and discussions on tightening gun control are being seriously held around the world. Currently, the use of online materials to manufacture firearms using 3D printing is not at a level that could be abused for criminal purposes, but there are indications that regulations related to 3D printers are needed to go beyond simply regulating the sale of firearms to avoid a situation of concern in the near future.
However, we need to think a little more carefully about regulations on 3D printers. Currently, many companies related to new technologies in Korea are having difficulty entering the global market due to government regulations. For example, in Korea, the scope of use of drones is limited to military purposes or photography. Compared to China, which only restricts drone flights in certain areas, and Japan, which is actively using drones for telemedicine and medicine delivery, the development of the drone-related industry in Korea is inevitably slow. This is an example of how important government regulations are in the adoption of new technologies.
3D printers are no exception. Currently, 3D printer technology in Korea has reached the point where it can be used to produce artificial organs, artificial skin, prosthetic arms, and prosthetic legs, but there are no safety standards for domestically produced products, so there is reluctance to purchase them overseas, and there are difficulties in developing sales channels. Such regulations are like binding the hands and feet of companies that are competing in the global arena, and considering the fact that the competition for market dominance in new industries has a significant impact, it is a huge loss. Regulations on new technologies are not just for safety, but are an important factor that can have a significant impact on the growth of an industry and the country’s economy.
As the future value of the 3D printer industry is highly valued due to the limitless possibilities of what can be created with 3D printing technology, the government should consider and implement a more prudent scope of regulations. We should not allow the unfortunate situation of stifling the wings of Korea’s new industry by failing to keep up with the flow of technology. Therefore, the government should strike a balance between regulation and support to lead safe technological development without hindering innovation. This is an important task that can be applied not only to the 3D printer industry, but also to all new technologies of the future.
