The Ethical Issues Surrounding 3D Printing

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3D Printing in Education

Ethical Issues Surrounding 3D Printing

Review the following materials and respond in the appropriate discussion area.

3D printing allows us to recreate exisiting things, and create new things with a new look or purpose. In some cases, designers can almost instantly create a product based on popular culture. The “left shark” is a great example. In this case (Story here: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-left-shark-copyright-fight-katy-perry-20150205-story.html) a dancer performing at a halftime show was immortalized and offered for sale (design file was also up on Thingiverse for free). Katy Perry and her lawers took issue and tried to stop it. This was a case of Intellectual Property Rights being violated (or were they?). Other issues include the ability to print dangerous things such as knives and guns. In Japan, a man was arrested for doing thishttp://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27322947. With the increase in surveillance in cities across the US, some have come up with a way to not be tracked http://www.urmesurveillance.com/. Recent developments in the medical industry have shown promising results in printing human tissue. While the potential for improving health and saving lives is great, the possibility for “playing god” also exists. Follow the links below to learn more:

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-dark-side-of-3d-printing-10-things-to-watch/

http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2658315

http://www.3dprinter.net/3d-printing-intellectual-property-rights-issues

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2486998/emerging-technology/bio-printing-human-parts-will-spark-ethical–regulatory-debate.html

http://www.urmesurveillance.com/

After reading the material in week 6 course materials, identify a possible ethical issue surrounding 3D printing. In your thread, describe the issue, and share your ideas about how the issue can be minimalized, either in education or industry.

Possible topics:

  • Intellectual Property Theft
  • Bio Ethics
  • Safety
  • Counter-Surveillance

For more information, you can read the following article on 8 Ways Technology Is Improving Your Health

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