Making of patent law at the digital frontier – patents at the age of 3D printing
Nari Lee · Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · 2019
Digital technologies represented by the ubiquitous cloud computing, smart devices, and three-dimensional (3D) scanning and printing expand human experiences. These technologies at the digital frontier are used not only for business but also average people for education, communication and entertainment. Using 3D printing technology as an example, this chapter questions whether various doctrines in the intellectual property (IP) law should be reinvented or even if new ones are needed. As 3D printing utilises platforms that operate globally, it may require cross border sharing of data sets, data files or other information. This chapter questions in the context of patent law in particular, if disruptive technologies such as 3D printing technology indeed call for harmonisation, including new meanings for ‘making’ of patented invention.