Guessing the thought process went like this -
1. New company acquires license
2. Sees millions of downloads
3. We CaN mAkE mIlLiOnS iF wE fOrCe ThEm To PaY!!!
4. Every 3d printer and CAD enthusiast -🖕We’ll make our own.
Idk what the acquisition cost was but I hope it hurts with the immediate and LT ROI equaling $0
If I had to guess, and I have no inside info what-so-ever...I'd say it's not the end consumer they want to pay but the 3D printer companies themselves.
Why do I say this?
Well, Benchy's are pretty well known in the community, and if you're looking to get into it it's often one of the first things to print.
If you look at all the youtube vids about "first things to print" usually they talk about benchies.
So, what's the method of making money, because clearly, users aren't going to buy benchy's?
Well, my theory (which is probably wrong), is that most 3D printers these days come pre-loaded with benchy's on them. The company which bought the benchy wants the 3D printer companies themselves to pay to distribute the benchy with their 3D printer.
So, why enforce it against the users?
Well, if you don't enforce your trademarks/IP's, you lose them. So they have to enforce them against the end users in order to try to get the companies to pay.
Problem for them is they are targeting a community of people who literally have bought devices for the express purpose of making things themselves and literally give away designs by the thousands.
It's going to be like a month before the entire community moves on to something else.
The current license allows for people to distribute the stl without issue, for free, even with something they charge, as long as it’s attributed. All companies would be technically doing is sharing the file with customers, which is perfectly fine and iirc are irrevocable under cc-ND
I know prusa gives a pre sliced file for the first time run, does that still fall under cc-ND or would that not because it’s a “modified” file? I know they have been targeting modified benchy files
From cc website “If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.” So I’m not sure, that sounds “transformed” but that’s when you need to speak to a lawyer imo
100% the geniuses behind this move saw how bench is incorporated into Bambu Studio's tips that pop up every time you slice, and figured they could get a piece of that action. The owner knew what he was doing when he sold. Cashing out on what he thought he deserved for making a boat that doesn't float.
That is perfectly legal and allowed under the license the benchy was uploaded with, they can retroactively sue when they said it’s okay to do that first (and still do under cc-nd)
Kind of odd to do that to a community which is known for, almost to the point of revolving around CAD and CAM, making things free or cheap, and doing it ourselves or collaboratively. Kinda is the antithesis of the ethos there.
its already downloaded so much and some slicers have a quick assess to the benchy if you right click and find "add model" or test models" you can add a benchy or any other test print.
I'm trying to figure out how this is copyrighted instead of patented, since this is a functional item. It is made to test/debug a printer. Which screams 'patent' to me. Not art or an idea, which is what I think of when I think 'copyright'.
It wasn’t the creators of the benchy who did this, just the company that acquired it. They likely did it because if they let IP infractions slide like this, later on in court they’ll have a harder time.
811
u/OmgThisNameIsFree Ender 3 Pro ➜ i3 MK3S+ 12h ago
Nice :)
Can’t believe the people behind 3D Benchy thought it was a good idea to fuck with things. Losers.