3D Scanning: A World Without Copyright

This 18-page paper, written by Michael Weinberg, discusses 3D printing and copyright. Weinberg expects the use of 3D printing to grow in the future and with this growth a number of questions may be raised. This paper addresses the possible question of "how to treat 3D scans in the context of existing intellectual property law, specifically copyright law." A table of contents and the following sections are included in the paper: Introduction, The Long(er) Version, Hard Work and Skill Are Not Enough, A Detour into the History of Photography and Copyright, Conditional Recognition, Ongoing Debate, Searching for Originality in Scans, Is There Originality? Representation vs. Expressive Scans, Representational Scans, Expressive Scans, Broad Scan Copyright Would Impose Societal Costs, The Object Being Scanned May Still Be Protected By Copyright, Scans that Capture Scenes, Scanning is Just Data, The Absence of Copyright Does Not Mean The Absence of Control, and Conclusion.Â