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3d Challenges: Ensuring Competition And Innovation In 3d Printing, Michal S. Gal

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Not often does a general-purpose technology disrupt numerous markets and significantly affect social welfare. 3D printing is an exception. This technology promises to improve the quality of certain goods and to greatly increase the efficiency of their production processes. More importantly, it holds potential to reshape entire supply chains, including the design, manufacture, assembly, distribution, warehousing, and marketing of some goods, potentially even eliminating some parts of such chains. By changing the Coasean tradeoff, 3D printing also reshapes relationships between market players. This Article reviews the potential disruptive effects of 3D technology, analyzing the ways it impacts market dynamics and …