Yet another potentially disruptive technology is set to join the ranks of blockchain and AI as a headache for legal: 3-D printing. While its use in legal is limited, 3-D printing's growing adoption in various industries, from medical and pharmaceuticals to consumer products and candy bars, presents unique challenges to in-house counsel prosecuting or defending IP and liability issues.
The market for the technology, which enables consumer or corporate users to manufacture or "print" products by inputting digital files and raw materials into a machine, is set to grow to $26.7 billion by 2019, according to a report from the International Data Corp .
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Chinh Pham, who co-leads the emerging technology practice at Greenberg Traurig, added that 3-D printing companies themselves can also be at risk of direct infringement charges if they directly print and sell patented products, as well as contributory or indirect infringement charges insofar as their 3-D printing technology enables infringement.