IP Implications on the Use of 3D Printing for Repair Purposes

This book is anchored in the intersection between 3D printing, repair activities and IP rights. As this research demonstrates, there is currently not a “right to repair” as such in the EU and the presence of IP rights can pose barriers to repair activities. The study fills a research gap considering the benefits of using 3D printing for repair purposes and the current lack of measures regarding the development of the circular economy and the IP system. The author follows a “socio-legal” approach considering legal, technological, political and societal aspects to obtain a contextual framework of the 3D printing sector and its potential for repair purposes and the production of spare parts. For this, doctrinal, comparative and normative methods are used provided by a theoretical framework of distributive governance which considers different stakeholders’ perspectives: OEMs, independent repairers and users adopting a Do-It-Yourself approach. The innovative perspective of this book offers academics, researchers, legislators and policymakers, potential solutions for patent, copyright, design and trade mark law in the EU, and a structured approach to evaluate legal developments and strategies in the realms of IP and repair. Likewise, OEMS, independent repairers, and consumers can use the findings to make informed choices.