From time to time, we see the emergence of completely new and
un-envisaged technology being suddenly made available to consumers.
Whilst, from one perspective, such blue-sky innovation is obviously
to be applauded, this type of innovation is often referred to as
'disruptive technology'. This is because such innovations
usually challenge and disrupt the current state of the law (which
was inevitably drafted without the new technology having been
envisaged). 3D printing is the latest such disruptive
technology.
In the next few years, 3D printers are expected to be found in
many homes across Europe and otherwise to be widely publicly
available. 3D printers allow consumers to 'build'
complex products using layers of sometimes different materials.
Recently, a working gun was produced using this technique. A
national newspaper in the UK also tested the technology to
successfully produce a copy of a designer pair of shoes.
