3D Printing

The BBC recently published a piece called '3D Printing Will Be the Next Big Copyright Fight'. It said this:  'That moment we've been hearing about for years – the one where futuristic-sounding 3D printing becomes ubiquitous – is actually upon us.'  It dealt with a topic that's also referred to as 'additive manufacturing'.  If you don't know what 3D printing or additive manufacturing is, this is how Wikipedia describes it:  'A process of making a three-dimensional solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using an additive process,  where successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes.' Too technical ? Try this from an editorial that appeared in The Economist a while back: 'First you call up a blueprint on your computer screen and tinker with its shape and colour where necessary. Then you press print. A machine nearby whirrs into life and builds up the object gradually, either by depositing material from a