File Licensing and Legalities
Basic overview of what we can look to print for you.
Minifactorum respects the intellectual property of others and asks that customers of our Site and Services do the same. In connection with our Site, Policies and Services, Minifactorum has a working and implemented a policy respecting intellectual property that provides for the refusal to print of any infringing or unauthorized materials and for the termination, in appropriate circumstances, of customer accounts, print jobs and business relations of any users of our online/physical Site and Services who are repeat infringers of intellectual property rights or who repeatedly submit unauthorized content for non personal print.
There are a great collection of sites that offer .STL cad files that can be printed for personal business use, if you are looking. Some of these are below
Other 3d file Providers and their details and rules, for those looking for files to play with, make use of or design something.
Hero Forge®
What is Hero Forge®?
Hero Forge®, the internet’s home for customizing and 3D printing tabletop miniatures and statuettes.
With the rise of 3D printing, the age of bespoke, made-to-order products is just beginning, and we’re thrilled to be bringing that revolution to the tabletop.
Originally funded by Kickstarter, Hero Forge® is a platform which allows you to create detailed characters in full 3D, right in your web browser, with an easy-to-use character customizer.
Then, using the power of 3D printing, we’ll turn pixels on-screen into atoms in your hand so you can finally have a tabletop miniature that truly feels like your character.
Designed with the tabletop gamer in mind, Hero Forge® lets you print figures in classic tabletop miniature scale, as well as 2x scale statuettes for commemorating your favorite characters.
Hero Forge® is a product of Sky Castle Studios, LLC. We are devoted to creating unique, web-based design experiences for custom products that capture your imagination and your vision.
The Eldritch Foundry
What is The Eldritch Foundry?
Allows gamers to take their character from the imaginary and make them a reality. We provide miniatures of the highest quality, both in the form of the models used to build your alter-ego, and in the quality of our 3D print itself. We make high quality, flash-less, seamless prints, using the latest in 3D printing technology.
Further, since table-top gaming is a community experience, we provide our service through your friendly local gaming store, as well as online
With our 3D Character Creator, you can customize every aspect of your miniature, from race and weapons, to clothing, items, and even poses.
Every tiny detail is uniquely designed with an unparalleled level of quality and artistic appeal, giving your character a one of a kind appearance.
Your miniature is also made from the highest quality materials and comes in a stylish protective case.
As seen on Critical Role
Thingiverse
What is Thingiverse?
MakerBot’s Thingiverse is a thriving design community for discovering, making, and sharing 3D printable things.
As the world’s largest 3D printing community, we believe that everyone should be encouraged to create and remix 3D things, no matter their technical expertise or previous experience.
In the spirit of maintaining an open platform, all designs are encouraged to be licensed under a Creative Commons license, meaning that anyone can use or alter any design.
Cults3D
What is Cults3d?
Cults is a marketplace that connects designers and people who want to 3D print some objects.
Cults is dedicated to all owners of 3D printers who wish to make premium and original creations.
Because everyone doesn’t have an artistic soul or the ability to use CAO 3D software, Cults highlights the work of these designers who will make 3D printing accessible to all.
Cults is a social network that brings together all the fans of the 3D printer world, so that they can interact with each other.
Cults also stands for generosity. Thanks to Promotions category, all 3D printing aficionados can find coupon codes to buy 3D printers, filaments, 3D scanners and many other accessories at the best prices.
MyMinifactory
Official Content License
® & © All Rights Reserved
All official content is subject to copyright © and trademark protection ® laws of corresponding brand.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Models have a strict non-commercial, non-distribution license and shall be downloaded for personal use only. Consumer may not share, distribute, sell, rent, host, or transfer 3D printable file.
Consumer may not print for commercial or mass production purposes. Each model may be downloaded for personal use only and may not be used for marketing, collecting money, fees, donations reimbursement or any remuneration purposes: Including but not limited to, selling prints, posting on ebay, etsy, shapeways, facebook shop or any other product or file distribution center.
Any violation is subject to legal enforcement of intellectual property rights to the fullest extent of the law, including the seeking of criminal prosecution.
Patron
Official Content License
Patreon is a creator-founded company that understands completely the importance of retaining ownership over your creations. Creators should be downright sceptical of any agreement that seeks to share in or transfer any portion of ownership in your creations. We are definitely not attempting to claim any sort of ownership or control over your works.
Instead, this section is to ensure that Patreon has all necessary permission to upload, host, resize and display the creations of our creators worldwide. Like we say in the text, “The purpose of this licence is strictly limited to allow us to provide and promote memberships to your patrons. We will never try to steal your creations or use them in an exploitative way.”
The state of copyright law requires us to receive a comprehensive licence in order to host the copyrighted works of our creators. Otherwise, our creators could sue us for copyright infringement for doing any number of normal things with their creations. If you review the terms of use for other content hosting sites you will find very similar licences.
Own Design
Trademark & Copyright Protection
If you are developing a unique product, concept, brand, or design, it is prudent to protect your rights by registering for the appropriate trademarks and copyrights.
Interesting article that covers this.
If a 3D article does not fall within any of the s. 4 categories, then the design of the article itself is not protectable in copyright. Furthermore, by s. 51 of the 1988 Act, the copyright in the underlying design drawings is not infringed by producing copies of the 3D article. For such articles, UK unregistered design right (which was also introduced under the 1988 Act) and/or unregistered Community design is the only potential protection available. That means that the vast majority of 3D articles will not be protected in copyright under UK law.
https://www.mondaq.com/uk/copyright/891804/copyright-in-designs-is-everything-now-protectable
The distinction drawn in UK law between protection for artistic 3D designs (which receive copyright protection for the author’s life plus 70 years) and for more functional 3D designs (which are protected only for 10 years under UK unregistered design right) was thrown into doubt by the CJEU’s 2019 decision in Cofemel. The IPEC has now provided a partial answer as to the implications of Cofemel, albeit in a case involving a 2D design. It is clear that the approach in UK law of categorising the types of works in which copyright can subsist is incompatible with EU law, but much less clear as to whether anything can, will, or indeed should, be done about it.
https://www.hlk-ip.com/news-and-insights/copyright-in-designs-is-everything-now-protectable/?utm_source=Mondaq&utm_medium=syndication&utm_campaign=LinkedIn-integration
Trademarks and Design – I.e Can i print some companies copied stuff
A company’s trading names, brand names and logos can all be protected as registered trademarks (subject to certain registrability rules). Where not registered, they may be protected by the law of passing off (similar to the law of unfair competition in other jurisdictions). Registration confers a statutory monopoly in the use of that trade mark in relation to the goods or services for which it is registered and in relation to similar types of goods and services.
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If in doubt and for personal use send the file and we can look to rent you time on the printer for personal work, it depends on the file and design.
Your Design
Getting your design printed
Are you looking for a supplier to manufacture a specific part? Many companies use service providers like us that specialise in the contract manufacturing of additively manufactured parts for their entry into 3D printing and design.
This Sounds complex and I just want my damn Miniatures for a tabletop game printed!!!
Past Customer
Ok that’s fine, if you have files and you have bought them or got them from a 3d file provider and need the files printed we can do that, and charge handling and costs. This is a standard fee and for personal use only.
If you already have a file that needs to be 3D printed and you own it, then all you need to do is email the file to us.
we also ask for you to make sure you include what material you would like and colour if it is specific. We can chat to you about this.
Now, once we have the file uploaded, if you already sent us the file we will have a quote to you. This is a simple procedure. So in order for you to get a quote for something you want to be 3D printed you need a 3D file. (Generally an .STL)
If you need us to create the file, to which we have design contacts, then this service is £75 per hour (basically so we can create the file).
By now we should have got back in touch with you and provided you with a quote. Once payment is received we will begin the design process. Once the file is complete, you will approve the design (if it is to your liking).
We post out to you or you can collect from our store.
How it works with Minifactorum
Upload your 3D file,
Select material color & finish – May be restricted or add costs
Get an instant price & order
Let us take care of production
Receive your products
If I own or have a design made for me and want to protect it.
See Below.
Register your design UK
How your unregistered designs are protected
There are rights that protect your unregistered designs and stop others from using them without your permission.
You get protection automatically – you do not have to apply or pay a fee.
You can register your design if you need to protect it for longer, provided it meets the eligibility criteria.
How long you’re protected for
There are different types of unregistered design. How long you’re protected for depends on the type of design.
Shape and configuration
The shape and configuration (how the parts are arranged) of 3-dimensional objects is automatically protected in the UK for whichever ends first of:
- 10 years after it was first sold
- 15 years after it was created
This is known as ‘design right’
Overview
Copyright protects your work and stops others from using it without your permission.
You get copyright protection automatically – you don’t have to apply or pay a fee. There isn’t a register of copyright works in the UK.
You automatically get copyright protection when you create:
- original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic work, including illustration and photography
- original non-literary written work, such as software, web content and databases
- sound and music recordings
- film and television recordings
- broadcasts
- the layout of published editions of written, dramatic and musical works
You can mark your work with the copyright symbol (©), your name and the year of creation. Whether you mark the work or not doesn’t affect the level of protection you have.
® ©2020 Minifactorum, Nottingham