Kickstarter being sued over 3D printer patent

3D Systems is suing the crowd-funding website claiming Kickstarter has promoted a product that infringes on its printing technique patent.

As well as Kickstarter, 3D Systems has filed a lawsuit against Formlabs, the company that set up the 3D printer project on the site.

Formlabs’ printer gained contributions from more than 2,000 users, who collectively offered over $2.9m (£1.8m) to help the Massachusetts-based company build the device.

Here comes the science bit:
3D Systems claim that Formlabs has infringed on its stereolithography technique, which involves directing an ultraviolet laser across a liquid synthetic substance to cause a thin layer to solidify. Once repeated layer-by-layer, the final shape of the object is determined.

This is the first time Kickstarter has been involved in a case linked to a product featured on the site. And the reason the site is being sued? Well, the lawsuit states that because Kickstarter took a five per cent cut of the pledges made to Formlabs, and promoted the project, it has caused ‘immediate and irrepareable injury and damage to 3D Systems’.

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