kickstarter sued over 3d systems\' printer patent

Crowd-
Funding website has been sued for promoting new 3D printers.
More than 2,000 users contribute more than $2. 9m (£1. 8m)
Help Massachusetts-
Build the device based on Formlabs.
However, the 3D system
Leading printer manufacturer to turn computer design files into realityworld objects -
Claim that one of the patents was infringed by the machine.
It also filed a lawsuit against Formlabs itself.
The two defendants have yet to respond to the allegations.
Although patent lawsuits are relatively common in the US tech industry, according to the US Pacer, this marks the first time that Kickstarter has been involved in a case related to a product sold on its website (
Public Access to Court Electronic Records)system.
At the heart of the charge is a printing technology called stereo printing.
It includes the irradiation of ultraviolet laser to liquid synthetic substances to solidify the thin layer.
Then repeat the layer-by-
Layer, the shape of the resulting object is determined by the pattern drawn by the laser beam.
This technology has been available since 1980.
However, California
The 3D system at the headquarters found a problem in the process.
If a feature is too thin at a certain point and is not supported, it may not cure properly or cause the object to lose shape.
The company has come up with a solution that includes adjustment procedures so that each layer does not need to be completed before entering the next level.
By stagger the points of each part of the Cross
The parts are solidified and there is a greater chance of providing structural support for each feature.
3D Systems says this brings more accurate and higher opportunities.
Resolution object.
It patented the method in 1997. When the MIT (
MIT)
Media Lab researchers behind Formlabs submitted their fundraising campaign to Kickstarter, who relied on the quality of the print --
The output they can provide.
By using stereo printing, they say, their printers can provide \"layer thickness and feature dimensions that are ahead of the existing technology used by budget printers \", melt the plastic and squeeze it through the nozzle to create each layer of the object.
They noticed other high
It usually takes tens of thousands of dollars to define a 3D printer, but they say they will provide their Form 1 printer to anyone who promises $2,299 or more.
However, 3D Systems says it is \"well known\" in the industry and has a large portfolio of stereo printing products --
Relevant patents, and have been involved in other proceedings defending intellectual property rights.
It states that, therefore, Formlabs must know or choose not to know whether there is a risk of patent infringement.
The court filing record for the 3D system Techcrunch news site quoted one of its colleagues as saying
One of the reasons the founder said it was able to provide the printer at such a low cost was because several patents had expired \", this means that the team does not need to pay a high license fee to bring this product to the market \".
It also stressed that the second member of the Formlabs team repeated this statement in an interview with solidback.
The document also marks a news report on a JPMorgan Bank report, highlighting in particular the disruptive threat that Formlabs cheap selling prices pose to the sale of 3D system products.
The lawsuit stated that Kickstarter was also listed as a defendant as the site reduced the amount promised to Formlabs by 5% by promoting the Form 1 printer, \"caused direct and irreparable damage and damage to the 3D system \".
Although this was the first such case that Kickstarter was involved in, it was not the only lawsuit it had.
The company has also been involved in a dispute with ArtistShare --another crowd-funding site -
Patent Rights describing how to use database software to raise funds for creative works.