Abstract
In recent years, an extraordinary growth in activities among legal scholars and legal practitioners at the crossroads of law and digital fabrication has been noted. It shows in[nite application possibilities in mass-reproducing both daily life objects and design prototypes through CAD software and tools. Various trends can be observed, each having their particular impact on and challenges for current legal systems. )e [rst trend, the rise of the Open Source Hardware movement, poses challenges in terms of how one can protect the sharing of collective works in the domain of hardware designs, typically governed more by patents and design rights than copyright. Most Open Source Hardware works are shared under copyright-based licenses, which may only protect part of the work. )e second trend, the lowering of costs of digital fabrication tools, is correlated to the [rst, by sharing R&D through open communities in combination with patent expiration. )e third trend, Digital DIY, refers to the growing group of people who engage in making and hacking their own machines and products to extend their life and usefulness. However, the replication of patented or otherwise protected products might lead to a rise in counterfeit products. Nonetheless, the practice of Digital DIY is typically for private, non-commercial use and therefore maybe exempt of certain exclusive IP rights. And there may be concerns in the assignment of liability in the event of defects in product design, planning and realisation, especially in areas such as biomedical products, food, and mobility. )e purpose of this article is to examine how the legal discipline in the [eld of online platforms of CAD and digital fabrication can respond to these trends, in particular in terms of intellectual property and liability of amateur manufacturers of goods that can be used by third parties.