Just as 3D printing is beginning to truly boom, online marketplace Etsy has brought in a ban that will affect many creatives selling on the platform. Previously, an industrious seller with a 3D printer and permission could use another designer's design to print and sell a product, but that is coming to an end as Etsy now says that any design sold on the platform must have been designed by the seller themselves.
Not only does this halt business for people wanting to print and sell someone else's design, but it will also curtail revenue for designers who sell their own designs to others for the purpose of selling. Although this might be clearer for copyright infringements, it means many shops are in danger of being shut down. You can read the Etsy Creativity Standards here, then find out where else you cam sell your own work online, whatever it may be.
Though this will be bad news for many creatives wanting to earn some extra money or those already making money from certain Etsy shops, it makes sense from a 'uniqueness' point of view – and especially when you consider Etsy's mission to Keep Commerce Human. Etsy is full of 3D printed creations that are all the same but printed by different sellers – not really the right look for a creative marketplace that's meant to be more special than the shops. Duplicated templated 3D prints across the platform are reminiscent of those products on eBay and Amazon that are the same but sold by different stores.
It also makes sense from an environmental point of view – the amount of plastic created by these designs is becoming more of a problem, and not all of the sellers are using sustainable materials.
But some will be dismayed by the decision as 3D printing is starting to become the creative medium of choice for many, and not everyone has the skills to design themselves. Plus designers are facing a plethora of issues at the moment thanks to the changing tech landscape, and this was a way to make some extra money.
What do you think of the decision? Let us know in the comments.
