Swat team assaults counterfeiting MakerBot (Composed by Cabe Atwell via MakerBot images and stock photography)
On January 19, the FBI released a document announcing they want to hire companies to program and design a system to access and monitor “public” information from social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr etc. They claim this will help with “security” as information is archived and used along with maps to keep watch over important areas and even predict terrorist attacks. They also want to keep a tally on individuals of interest and even infer information like undeclared friendships and locations. Of course, some feel this will deter people from expressing their speech freely.
At the same time, The Pirate Bay, a popular Bittorrent website that is platform dedicated to public file-sharing also announced they will begin to transmit innovative new computer files, those of 3D objects that can be made with 3D printers. They are calling these files Physibles. Although websites like, shapeway.com offer 3D printing, these files could be distributed to make objects or tools in-house wherever there is a printer.
Sharing objects such as tools, maybe have social impacts in a very profound way. This was expressed by WinstonQ2038, a blogger on the website who announced the news on Physibles, "The benefit to society is huge. No more shipping huge amount of products around the world. No more shipping the broken products back. No more child labour.” He goes further to state eventually we could print food for people who need it. (As many already know, 3D printed parts are not that durable. I am sure bad labor practices will remain in full effect.)
This is a new area of I.P. infringement. Stealing digital files to make physical objects.
Anti-scanning technology does exist. Take Very First Technologies created was to stop 3D scanning with their CopySafe+ light diffusing, absorbing layers, which effectively camouflages the object from spectral analysis. What about touch probes? There will always be a way to copy something or break the restrictions.
Legal issues on intellectual property infringement may result from the sharing of these Physible files. Whether or when the FBI begins to monitor over public transfers, the public’s right to transfer information over the Internet will truly be tested. The FBI could potentially get in the way of that technological and social progress, as the federal government creeps more and more into our daily lives, in the name of security.
This story combined with those about SOPA and ACTA show the world is at a crossroad when it comes to digital privacy and protection. Many are battling between being a democratic state or a privatized one. It is apparent that some laws will pass and will be enforced. Now it is a matter of figuring out the boundaries the government should respect with regards to security.
Cabe
