[void account]

I know speaking about pirating software isn't allowed and frowned upon, but I am not talking about it; it is just a reference point to the following scenario I envision for the future.

Today we can pirate programs, software, movies, shows - if it exists in digital form, it has the possibility of being free somewhere on the internet.

Tomorrow (meaning in the future, not literally tomorrow, as foreign members might not understand this saying), we could be pirating physical objects. Do you want that new desk for your workstation? Do you want to make your own gun that is both unregistered, has no serial, and is completely disposable and (in some cases) has a better design than the ORIGINAL gun you can purchase at the store? Do you want the new iPhone/Android case that you saw your friend using? Maybe you want something simple, like clothes? Shoes? Imagine paying little to nothing to get these products.

Or maybe you want to do something much more complicated; organs. Tissue. Do you want a $60 prime cut of steak? Do you want a kidney designed for your own body, being able to replace your own breaking down/failed one?

By now you should know what I'm talking about. 3D printing.

How can this be possible in the future? There will be blueprints online. They already are, but obviously limited due to the 3D printing being in it's infancy - maybe even not even born yet, staying in a fetal stage due to the world not accepting it yet. How will 3D printing be the new way to pirate physical goods? Blueprints are sold online currently. There are $200 blueprints on how to create your own Glock, $60 blueprints to create iPhone cases, you get the picture. The production cost, however, is extremely low. You can purchase materials that 3D printers use for a FRACTION of the original product. Look at your phone case right now. What is it? Plastic? Silicon? If you melted that down, how much would it cost? A few cents? A fraction of a cent? Yet you payed well over $20-60 for it.

While I know this wouldn't be 100% pirating, since you need to buy the material to process into the object itself, it is very close to it. You completely cut out the middle man. You cut out shipping. You cut out all of the people producing the products themselves. You cut out the retailer's increased price.

3D printing is the next big change coming, right behind AI.

EDIT: I forgot that most members have an attention span of 6 seconds.
TL;DR: 3D printing will allow us to pirate blueprints for physical objects and then we can print out things for fractions of the original cost (due to just having to purchase the raw printing material).

[ur girls daddy]

You can already pirate physical objects. It's called stealing.

[void account]

Yeah there will be blueprints for all these amazing things. But guess what? You dont just make a kidney out of air, you need everything it takes to make a kidney. Even if you somehow got the materials the printer would cost MILLIONS IF NOT BILLIONS

I'm guessing you didn't read the whole thing; I said this will be possible in the future. Of course these machines cost millions currently because it is extremely experimental and, as with everything new to the world, has a huge price due to the innovation/research costs to create the said invention. Once it makes it back, there will be even more innovation, lead closely by price decreases.

How much did IBM's computers cost in the 1950's? Millions. Today's $100 Microsoft laptop is exponentially advanced than those computers.

[SIM-2908357]

Yeah there will be blueprints for all these amazing things. But guess what? You dont just make a kidney out of air, you need everything it takes to make a kidney. Even if you somehow got the materials the printer would cost MILLIONS IF NOT BILLIONS

Pretty much this, and not everything is made out of plastic.
I see what you're getting at, and it makes some sense, but we probably wont experience this in our lifetime 😝

[void account]

You can already pirate physical objects. It's called stealing.

Obviously you don't get the point. I can go steal software too, I can go to my local BestBuy and pull a gun on a manager and steal all their software. Pirating does not equal stealing (speaking in internet terms.. Not the pirating that actual sea pirates do - that is stealing).

[Fistsworn]

There already had been cases of 3D printed guns, Prosthethic limbs, where not that good with orgnas YET, but there had been made an artificial heart I think?
Yes the future is awesome :D


For weebs only:
Spoiler (Click to View)

Also OP if your into anime check out Ghost in the Shell...
We'll soon pirate human beeings xD

[kiahnna]

this is very interesting but I have a question, doesn't 3D printing only print a empty copy not like the actual object?

[Fistsworn]

this is very interesting but I have a question, doesn't 3D printing only print a empty copy not like the actual object?

The printer can model various materials [sure some are not an option like heavy alloy metal] and can be programmed to make the objects Hollow or Full of the thickness and size you desire[depending on the printers size aswell].

Also It's true that for example the printer will not be able to print a gun, however it is able to make the various parts that you will assemble to make the gun.

[Roytoy]

I hope this happens soon. However certain materials (glass or w/e) cannot be reproduced by simple 3D printers.

[void account]

I hope this happens soon. However certain materials (glass or w/e) cannot be reproduced by simple 3D printers.

Yes, it's not possible today. Neither was flying across the world 200 years ago - saying something like that would get you labeled as a crazy.

[Sir Neko]

You are not really pirating things if you print them out.

[void account]

You are not really pirating things if you print them out.

You are if you're pirating the blueprints to print out the objects themselves.

[A NEW ERA...]

I love the idea of this. Making our own stuff instead of being raped by companies for their ridiculous prices.

[Roytoy]

Yes, it's not possible today. Neither was flying across the world 200 years ago - saying something like that would get you labeled as a crazy.

We wont live for 200 years. 👍

[minimalist]

Patents covering the IP of the early 3D printer manufacturing companies were what curbed the advancement of 3D printing. Innovation should come in due time, but the cost of resin (and the fact that it's resin being used) is what's currently holding it back.