The advent of 3-D printing raises lots of legal issues for in-house counsel, according to Kris Kappel of Husch Blackwell, writing in The Advisory Board Company’s General Counsel Agenda. “When there is quick growth in an industry and advances in technology, there are multiple legal aspects that a company developing and using this technology needs to consider,” she says.
Intellectual property is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to 3-D printing, which some techies predict will disrupt almost every major industry. Kappel warns that there are many parties that can claim IP rights in a 3-D printed product or design: printer manufacturers, digital blueprint designers, distributors, employees and even customers. “Contractually, a company may unintentionally assign intellectual property rights to a third party,” she writes. To avoid this scenario, Kappel recommends carefully reviewing agreements with external parties and having employees and independent contractors sign IP assignment agreements.
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