Preparing for the future?

Christmas present for Flam3D members

Last year, member company Enlarg3D came with the request for Flam3D to do another search for patents related to Additive Manufacturing that would expire in the coming years. This year, patent office AOMB spontaneously offered us to reproduce that exercise. And so, we have the honour (and pleasure) of once again putting this beautiful gift under our members’ Christmas trees.

The potential is clear: with this knowledge, companies can already prepare for a future in which certain extensions or improvements become freely available. Of course, you better start doing that well in advance – and not only when the patent in question has actually expired.

We don’t have the capacity to track down those patents ourselves, but patent agency AOMB – which has already collaborated with Flam3D several times – has a knack for it. After some research, the agency came up with a list of 121 3D printing-related patents* registered (also) in Europe that will expire in the next few years.

Some 3D printing companies may well benefit from this Christmas present. Would you like to unwrap it? Members of Flam3D can request this list via info@flam3D.org or kris.binon@flam3d.org. Want more information or a consultation on patents? Then contact Marco Coolen of AOMB.

We do not intend to question the importance of patents. Patents obviously protect the use of an invention, to the benefit of the inventor (or, if applicable, the licensee). We just want our members to have that little edge!

* This list includes machine-related items, as well as inventions related to materials, processes, medical applications, etc.

For now, we would like to wish you happy holidays from the entire Flam3D team!