Kickstarter.com, one of the most prominent project US crowdfunding platforms, is being sued for the promotion of the highly successful 3D printer project put forth by Formlabs, a Massachusetts firm comprised of MIT Media Lab researchers.
3D Systems, an industry leader in 3D printing, has claimed that Formlabs infringed on its stereolithography-related patents and that Kickstarter escalated the damage by promoting the project through internet and social media outlets.
3D Systems has been quoted saying it is common industry knowledge that they hold a large portfolio of stereolithography-related patents. This leads to the conclusion that either Formlabs chose to proceed with their 3D printer project regardless of the established patents or that they failed to do their homework.
This will be one of the first major patent lawsuits for Kickstarter. As the website and crowdfunding becomes a more popular financing route, project owners should take heed to thoroughly research their product industry so as not to tarnish their potential success with expensive lawsuits. However, one thing is clear. It seems in the business world that lawsuits are something of a right of passage. The Kickstarter platform provides the early stage nourishment for real products that have the potential to threaten established businesses. I am excited and privileged to watch the development of this new pillar in the financial industry.
For more in-depth information regarding the lawsuits, see the BBC article here
