Script from this video (typos included):
Alright, short version, the CC license isn’t for you. It’s for your users. You have copyright, meaning just by creating a publishing your work, if someone takes your work, reproduces it, and attempts to sell it you have the right to take them to court and prescient to win. The CC license relaxes the copyright restrictions, giving the downloaders the ability to use your designs and web sites to provide them for upload, provided they follow certain rules you set out, like attribution or not using it for certain purposes.
Does that mean that it’s impossible for someone to ignore the license and violate the copyright? Of course not. It’s just words. But in that case the best thing that can happen is that they make a lot of money, preferably in a location that the laws easily apply, so that when you go to a lawyer and say “here’s the situation” they start drooling, agree to take your case, and sue for punitive damages. So far no one has been dumb enough to violated CC license and sell 3D prints from copyrighted model and smart enough to make money from it. Because this requires someone to be both dumb and smart at the same time it may never happen.
But that’s not what you’re saying. You’re saying you’ve thought about the possibility that someone could take your design and make money from it, and if that happens you’d be sad. Maybe you’ve even seen people selling someone else’s designs without attribution and, even though they’re not making much, just doing that makes you unhappy, and I understand that. I have a garden in my backyard. If someone were to sneak in, steal my tomatoes, and sell them, I’d be upset.
Not that I was going to sell them myself, or even eat them because we’ve got a bumper crop, but that wouldn’t be the point. It would be theft and the law would support me on that, if I cared to pursue it, which I also probably wouldn’t. I’m just lazy. All I’d do is Harumph.
The thing is, what you’re really saying is you’re so afraid that someone is going to steal your tomatoes that you’re not even going to plant a garden. I say don’t worry about that. Are you making something cool, or are you cowering because you don’t know what people are going to do and not making anything at all? Put your stuff out there, you have a lot still to learn about the value of your own ideas and you won’t ever learn it with a closed fist.
The truth is, you’re 3D model might not even be worth stealing. I know it means a lot to you, but try making it real and share it with others, let it compete in the marketplace, try to get buy in from others, and as soon as it’s out of the magical realm of “everything is awesome Vania” that exists in your head, and in the real world, it’s only got a thin chance of being as good as you think it is.
But The funny thing is, in my experience, you can’t predict what will be successful. All things are in your head everything is equally awesome you will won’t know what’s good until you get it out into the real world. So that’s what you got to do. you have to release your stuff you have to get it out there you have to see what you’ve come up with that’s quite frankly worth the time. And the more you get something out, out of your head, and out into the world, the more room you make for that next great idea that might actually be the one. You hold onto these things in your head, don’t share them, let fear paralyze you, and you will never get there.
I entered a half a dozen contests to win a 3D printers before I finally made my chest set robot. In the meanwhile I lost to the stupidest things things that I knew I had created something better than but that everybody else disagreed with me on.
Now, of course there is some precedent for worrying. You can find people on Ebay and elsewhere selling other people’s designs without permission and without regard for the license. None of them are doing well enough to merit a lawsuit, but it’s enough to make people gunshy.
You know, if you’re worried about tomato thieves, there are a couple of things you can do about it, too. One way to fix it is to build a huge wall, hire guards and security cameras, and keep constant vigil over your precious tomatoes. For 3D printed designs that’s the equivalent of not releasing your files keeping them to yourself. Lots of people do this, but you know what I see? Walls. Limiting, enclosing, imposing walls. If you’re actually using your models to make money, and not just wishing that you could maybe one day if you could find your audience, then, okay, I support this course of action. But if you’re not, then maybe walling up yourself isn’t the best course of action.
You can sell tomatoes yourself. Put in the work, do the harvest, set up the stand or contact other stores, and make the money for yourself. For 3D printed designs you can get a 3D printer and an etsy shop. You’ll learn all about how much inventory to keep, market demands, and setting fair prices. You probably won’t get rich, but you’ll figure out that the people stealing your designs aren’t either.
Or, you can move your garden box to the front yard and put up a sign that says “help yourself, and maybe pull some weeds while you’re here”. Sure there will be mooches, and sure there will be who might even sell them, but you might make the news for being so open about what you’re doing. For 3D printing, this means don’t worry about what people are doing with your designs that you don’t approve of.
Do make sure to brand everything you make. Someone could just as easily remove the brand, sure, but you’re not worrying about that. You’re associating your work with you, freeing yourself up make more and better, and, most importantly, not stressing about stuff you can’t really, or don’t want to, do anything about anyways. Make enough cool things regularly and you may gain a following that will insist you set up a Pateron account so they can support you, who knows. Or maybe after a few years of this you finally make something that people actually want to pay for, you find your audience. The point is you’re not letting anything stop you from reaching your full potential and discovering what that potential is.
Go do something awesome. And stop giving yourself excuses not to.
Whether you design or not, I want to know “What is your big idia to use 3D printing”. Don’t be shy, don’t be afraid. This is just between you and me, and everyone who watches these videos. But practice being open, putting yourself out there, right here in the comments section, and see what happens.
As always I want to thank you for watching. If what I make is valuable to you, I have a Pateron, but I thank you for your view. Remember, safety first, and I’ll see you next time.
