MakerWorld Sues Other 3D Model Repositories, but Why?
A combination of cease and desists, plus threatened direct legal action marks a firmer tack from MakerWorld in the choppy waters of online content sharing and, inevitably, 3D model piracy.
Did you know that MakerWorld is a distinct business entity from Bambu Lab? I didn’t, until working on this article. Obviously, the site is intrinsically a part of Bambu Lab as the brand’s dedicated design tool and model repository, but even despite that direct link the platform operates independently, stressed a Bambu Lab representative in recent communications with All3DP and others in the 3D printing media.
This all began on October 10, when the MakerWorld brand account posted a lengthy statement on MakerWorld’s community pages, drawing attention to copies of MakerWorld users’ platform-exclusive models appearing on other 3D model repositories.
The post names Creality’s Creality Cloud, Elegoo’s Nexprint, and Anycubic’s MakerOnline as platforms where its users’ models repeatedly appeared without authorization, and in at least one case were used in promotional social media content by one of the platforms. It goes on to state MakerWorld’s commitment to do something about it, with later communication from a Bambu Lab representative (on behalf of MakerWorld) adding the detail of cease-and-desist letters and legal action against the infringing platforms, in relation to infringing reproduction of exclusive models, as well as broader unauthorized reproductions of MakerWorld models.
What exactly is disputed?
We’ve been sitting on this for a couple of weeks, trying to make top and tail of the story. The specific wording of MakerWorld’s post is unclear about what specifically they are pursuing with the legal action. A line referencing copies of models appearing on the sites explains that “Creators and we have attempted to resolve this through repeated reports. Most of the behavior did not stop, so we escalated through legal channels.[SIC]”
It’s unclear if the behavior that did “not stop” means that those platforms, which all have clear takedown policies, failed to remove the violations in a timely manner. Any platform hosting user-generated content, such as 3D models, has to in order to cover themselves against liability for their users’ actions. Failure to remove legitimately violating content in a timely manner makes them liable.
Or perhaps MakerWorld takes issue with users of those platforms persistently, repeatedly uploading models in violation of the models’ licensing, though it seems unlikely it would pursue individual cases against each user.
My best guess is that the platforms in question failed to respond to some reports fast enough, or erroneously rejected legitimate claims. That’s the only plausible angle I can think of for MakerWorld to challenge those sites which, ordinarily, cannot be held liable for their users making junk uploads of content they don’t own unless they fail to remove reported models in a timely manner. Even so, according to the terms of the exclusive model program, MakerWorld can’t sue you on an exclusive model uploader’s behalf.
What can MakerWorld do?
Reading the terms and conditions for participating in the site’s exclusive model program, you don’t actually transfer any right to MakerWorld to pursue copyright infringements on your behalf. Some exclusivity agreements might confer such power, but this one doesn’t appear to. It’s stated clearly that “You are solely responsible for taking any action necessary to protect and enforce your rights in your Model.” So on what grounds exactly that MakerWorld is taking action, we’re not sure.
Model duplications and misuse is not new, and users of MakerWorld are not the first to suffer it. Heck, it’s not even difficult to find public complaints of allegedly copied or stolen models ending up on MakerWorld. As long as there’s an element of gamification on these sites there’s incentive to misuse them. The model repositories have made this worse by offering schemes that reward material, monetary benefits like printers, materials, and in some cases cash or coupons. It rewards the users, but inadvertently incentivizes misusers.
All model repositories have reporting systems in place where disputes can be filed, offending models removed, and appeals made. This report-react status quo of online, open, user-generated content sites, as broadly mapped out by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the U.S. and largely mirrored in other countries and regions, is how 3D model repositories self-police. And not only to protect themselves from liability, but also to give users recourse to protect themselves and infringements of their work.
One great irony to all this is that some of the MakerWorld exclusive models, which must meet a list of criteria and guidelines including respecting intellectual property, are almost certainly IP-infringements themselves. Exclusive models get boosted points earnings and can convert points and boosts (MakerWorld’s tipping system) into cash. The terms also state the exclusive models found to infringe IP can be ejected. The fact that there’s so much grey at play still shows, as with anything concerning 3D models, licensing, copyright, and IP protections – it’s a mess.
What do the other platforms say?
When asked, a Bambu Lab representative, who caveated that the responses were provided as-is from MakerWorld without input from Bambu Lab, could not disclose what the specific allegations were against the platforms. We do know that the lawsuits, when they come, will be in China. MakerWorld is a limited company based in Singapore.
For their part in all this, representatives from all of Creality Cloud, Nexprint, and MakerOnline deny that they have received legal documents from MakerWorld. This doesn’t mean that they won’t still, but the language used in the post from October suggested that things were already in motion. Unlike in the U.S., where court documents are usually a matter for public record, in China, they are not. We’re unlikely to be able to follow along as closely as we might if this played out in the U.S.
When asked about their content reporting policies, a representative for Creality Cloud told All3DP: “Creality Cloud is committed to protecting creators’ legitimate copyright, encouraging creativity, and valuing original works. Our attitude on intellectual property protection has always been consistent and firm.” A blog post on the Creality Cloud website also points to the platform handling reports within three business days, investigating and deleting models found to be infringing.
Similarly, an Elegoo representative stated Nexprint “has zero tolerance towards copyright infringement,” and that its “report portal stays open 24/7. Upon receiving a report, we will initiate a review process within one business day and remove all infringer’s content within 48 hours.”
While contact was made with Anycubic, we had no statement about MakerOnline and its policies at the time of preparing this article for publication. The site’s terms of use states: “We will remove or disable access to the reported content within a reasonable period, and provide appeal channels for the users involved.”
Intriguingly, while researching for this article, I was able to find an example of a MakerWorld exclusive model on Creality Cloud. Maxx Design’s Christmas Snowman Tea Light was masquerading on Creality Cloud as “Frosty Candle”, with a November upload date several days later than the MakerWorld-exclusive original. It took just 3 minutes from me reporting the model to it being pulled offline.
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License: The text of "MakerWorld Sues Other 3D Model Repositories, but Why?" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.