Ultimaker Announces Defensive Patents
In a Bid to Protect IP and Create More Freedom to Innovate, Ultimaker Announced their Decision to Invest in Defensive Patents
Ultimaker, market-leading 3D printer manufacturer, today announced their decision to protect their IP with defensive patents. The patents will not only ensure greater freedom to continue developing innovative products, but will also offer greater peace of mind to their partners and the Ultimaker community as a whole.
Protecting intellectual property
Ultimaker has experienced considerable growth recently, and as such, are preparing themselves for entry into the global professional market. Investing in defensive patents enables the company to keep their innovations protected, and to countersue if a competitor sues for infringement (or any other reason).
Their hope is that, by having the necessary patents in place, they will have the freedom to continue developing new products and improving their services, whilst maintaining their open source ethos.
Why patenting is necessary
Ultimaker identifies a number of key benefits with defensive patenting. In addition to protecting intellectual property, the patents ensure continuity of business, without the threat of IP-theft or risk of legal action. Additionally, Ultimaker’s partners and collaborators experience greater peace of mind, particularly those who have invested in the company.
Patenting enables greater design freedom, and the ability to explore new options in the industry. This is important to the company, as it takes pride in offering market-leading, high-quality 3D printing products.
Implications for the community
Ultimaker’s CEO, Jos Burger, emphasized the company’s continued commitment to their open source community.
The patents are in place to protect our intellectual property, which means we can focus on developing superior products for our customers. We won’t be initiating patent lawsuits against anyone who uses our technology in good faith. Personal use, research and small business development is, of course, what our products and services are designed for.
Individual users and contributors will not be directly affected by the patents.
Looking into the future
Ultimaker states that they will continue to submit step files to Github, and will focus on developing new products to satisfy the needs of both users and enterprises.
The patents are in place not to restrict our users in any way, but to allow our company, partners and users alike the chance to enjoy greater design freedom. We’re proud of our role in developing the 3D printing ecosystem worldwide, and our defensive patents will enable us to continue to do this.
Since 2011, Ultimaker has built an open and easy-to-use solution of 3D printers, software and materials that enable professional designers and engineers to innovate every day. Today, Ultimaker is the market leader in desktop 3D printing. From offices in the Netherlands, New York, Boston, and Singapore – plus production facilities in Europa and the US – its global team of over 400 employees work together to accelerate the world’s transition to digital distribution and local manufacturing.