Disney seeking patent to curb 3D printing of characters

[AuburnJen 770]

http://www.chipandco.com/disney-seeking-patent-block-knockoffs-made-3-d-printers-272242/

article credit: chipandco.com, Kristen Kelly and Orlando Sentinel

Disney is looking to block people from using 3-D printers to produce  Disney merchandise.

They are currently seeking a new patent for a reflective substance that would confuse digital scanners, so it would be more difficult to scan Disney’s trademarked figurines and print them out on a 3-D printer.

The patent application states that Disney would use an “anti-scanning material” to form the face or head of the figurine to block useful scanning. It describes the material only as “retro-reflective”, perhaps in the form of glass beads. Technology for 3-D printing is growing and developing rapidly. Disney’s patent application seems to anticipate more widespread use of 3-D printers.

Disney is no doubt looking to protect it’s merchandising unit, Consumer Products & Interactive Media is a multibillion-dollar business. In the most recent quarter, it reported $1.1 billion for of revenue. It’s  unclear whether Disney actually wants to make the 3D scan-resist figurines, or if it’s just protecting the research it has done.

Disney also recently registered a method to have amusement-park rides sense when an occupant is in a seat, and making animated or robotic mouths move more accurately along with words.

 

 

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

They will try and make their merchandise in-scannable and people will find a way to scan it.   

[Travisma 1,317]

3 minutes ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

They will try and make their merchandise in-scannable and people will find a way to scan it.   

It seems that at this point it wouldn't be that profitable to do 3-D printing.  Guess they are looking ahead to the future.

[keith_h 420]

If it's just a coating that would be worked around pretty quickly. Just paint the item before the scan. The only way I can think of to really stop it is to come up with a standard for some type of digital rights management for the figures. Something like an RFID chip and the reader in the scanner. Even this isn't fool proof but would likely stop the common counterfeiter that makes stuff to sell at flea markets.