- 3D printer maker Bambu Lab and art toy company Pop Mart have reached a settlement, removing allegedly infringing Labubu models from its platform.
- The resolution of the dispute highlights the increasingly intellectual property and compliance challenges platforms face in user-generated 3D printing communities.
Chinese 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Lab and prominent art toy brand Pop Mart have reached a settlement, resulting in the complete removal of online 3D-printed Labubu models, according to a report by local media Lanjinger on Monday, citing a person close to Bambu Lab.
The move marks substantial progress in resolving the intellectual property dispute between the two parties, effectively avoiding an impending courtroom confrontation.
In early March this year, Pop Mart formally sued Bambu Lab and several of its affiliated companies over copyright ownership and infringement disputes.
The case was originally scheduled for a court hearing on April 2, with the core dispute centering on the presence of massive infringing content within Bambu Lab's MakerWorld model community.
The MakerWorld community hosts over 1 million model resources. Previously, users had uploaded 3D printing files of Pop Mart's IP "Labubu." Platform users could download these digital files for free and use 3D printing equipment to manufacture figures highly similar to Pop Mart's original versions.
Following consultations between the two parties, the number of models displayed when searching for "Labubu" on the platform has now dropped to zero.
With the rapid popularization of consumer-grade 3D printing technology, platforms are facing mounting commercial and compliance pressure regarding how to effectively regulate user-uploaded copyrighted content.
