Intellectual Property and 3D Printing : A Case Study on 3D Chocolate Printing

3D printing, also called Additive Manufacturing (AM), is a disruptive technology which some have argued has the potential to generate considerable economic and environmental benefits. However, and in order to realise the benefits of 3D printing, thought has to be given to the legal frameworks that support the manufacturing process from design to consumption. There are many areas of law that are relevant to this process including product liability, health and safety and environmental law. The one that will be considered in this paper is that of copyright, a branch of the law of intellectual property (IP). This paper examines 3D printing and selected copyright implications using a case study around the design and manufacture of three-dimensional chocolate products. This case study has been chosen because technology to print three-dimensional chocolates was designed and developed by Dr Liang Hao, a researcher at the University of Exeter. It also brings with it some particular challenges for the law of copyright around the co-creation process that it employs in the design of the chocolate products. The focus will be on three areas of the law of copyright, chosen because they lie at the heart of the chocolate business model, and because they are illustrative of just some of the challenges that are faced by both the law and 3D printing in responding to this new technology