PATENTS - 3D printing

Recent story about 3D printing can be found here:

Kansas teen uses 3-D printer to make hand for boy.

An interesting article from a Bloomberg contributor discussing IP issues with 3D printing is here. Notably,

Innovations continue and in the last decade the Patent and Trademark Office has received more than 6,800 applications related to 3D printing.

and, sadly,

Whatever strategies get used, significant intellectual property litigation involving 3D printing seems inevitable and the outcomes of that litigation will shape–and limit–how the technology advances and who gets access to the capital it generates.

 [...]

Finally, current bio-medical uses of 3D printed devices may begin to challenge traditional medical device approvals.