RepRap it's self going commercial, too? So far I've considered RepRap it's self to be the central, not-for-profit and reasonably neutral entity in the RepRap universe. Copyright was held by the University of Bath, represented by one of it's members, Adrian Bowyer. Now this representant apparently has changed his hat from being a university member to being the member of one of the commercial enterprises in and around RepRap. I'm well aware Ardian is just THE hero to many here. He's the speaker of those few (Vik Olliver would be another one) who continued with the initial experiments until, after a long journey, RepRap finally took off. Nevertheless, with the move described above I see parallels with MakerBots changes to Thingiverse back in February which caused quite a stir in out community recently: [forums.reprap.org] [forums.reprap.org] What do you think? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156348#msg-156348 Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:32:33 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,157129#msg-157129 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,157129#msg-157129
Quote

If all of the reprap designs were licensed for non-commercial use only, [...] there would be nowhere for a new user to go to buy RP parts

Pardon? Parts with non-commercial licenses can be bought, of course.]]> Traumflug General Thu, 27 Sep 2012 06:28:48 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,157037#msg-157037 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,157037#msg-157037
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johnrpm
One of the main things that attracted me to the Reprap community was, Wealth without money
although I don't see it so much now, I think we should be in either of two camps, open source/hardware or commercial, keep reprap or a new foundation for open source/hardware and let others who want to be commercial go some place else.

If all of the reprap designs were licensed for non-commercial use only, reprap would die, and quickly, because there would be nowhere for a new user to go to buy RP parts, and finding someone who will print them for you for free would be next to impossible - humans simply aren't that altruistic.

Reprap needs people who sell parts/kits/fully assembled printers in order to be successful.]]> raldrich General Wed, 26 Sep 2012 18:35:05 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156901#msg-156901 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156901#msg-156901 orcinus General Wed, 26 Sep 2012 08:26:10 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156691#msg-156691 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156691#msg-156691 Wealth without money
although I don't see it so much now, I think we should be in either of two camps, open source/hardware or commercial, keep reprap or a new foundation for open source/hardware and let others who want to be commercial go some place else.

Quote
And whoever raises his finger here may ask himself if there hadn't been a time when he was dreaming of earning money by his skills and knowledge concerning reprap.

I haven't, but I suppose many do, I just want a place that shares ideas and information for its own sake not to make a fast buck.]]> johnrpm General Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:25:55 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156680#msg-156680 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156680#msg-156680 dissidence General Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:26:37 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156653#msg-156653 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156653#msg-156653
Anyone tried to get Adrian's feeling about this idea ?]]> DeuxVis General Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:17:26 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156649#msg-156649 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156649#msg-156649
Traumflug Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> how could we support it financially
>
> The same way RepRap is currently run? And I think
> most of the serious RepRap-related businesses
> would happily shell out a few bucks for putting a
> "we support RepRap" logo on their web site.
>
> A foundation doesn't mean there has to be a
> committee of 15 highly paid individuals, IMHO it
> should be more like a clear message "RepRap is
> independent and neutral".]]> akhlut General Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:55:55 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156602#msg-156602 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156602#msg-156602
Quote

how could we support it financially

The same way RepRap is currently run? And I think most of the serious RepRap-related businesses would happily shell out a few bucks for putting a "we support RepRap" logo on their web site.

A foundation doesn't mean there has to be a committee of 15 highly paid individuals, IMHO it should be more like a clear message "RepRap is independent and neutral".]]> Traumflug General Tue, 25 Sep 2012 07:19:57 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156516#msg-156516 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156516#msg-156516 dissidence General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:45:58 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156490#msg-156490 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156490#msg-156490 -------------------------------------------------------
> This puts Zach in a similar situation as Steve
> Jobs back when Apple got successful, doesn't it?

Not really. Jobs was meddling too much into projects that weren't his (Macintosh, among others).
After moving him to a project team and department of his own didn't help, things got heated up a bit, culminating in Jobs trying to do a coup.

And it's not an exaggeration or dramatization, it really was a coup in its fullest sense.

Jean-Louis Gassée (of BeOS fame), with whom Jobs wasn't exactly on friendly terms, ratted him out if i recall correctly (i was researching this for a longish magazine article once, i might've mixed things up since), ending in Jobs getting sacked.]]> orcinus General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:34:36 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156429#msg-156429 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156429#msg-156429 As an aside I'll also be leaving the University soon, although I won't be going anywhere either

As far as foundation, there is a core team consisting of about 15-20 people (I've lost count), including most of the notable developers. All decisions regarding the wider project are made as a group, but typically these are minor. Pretty much the only thing discussed over the past few months was deciding to include some other machines on the wiki front page.]]> rhysjones General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:30:37 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156428#msg-156428 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156428#msg-156428
Quote
VDX
More interesting for me is the story around Zach, how he started/initiated MBI on his GEN3 electronics and was 'outsourced' this year

This puts Zach in a similar situation as Steve Jobs back when Apple got successful, doesn't it?

Quote
theodleif
[...] conclude that he must be a devil instead

I don't think anybody detects a devil here. At least I don't.

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ryhsjones
Adrian has now retired from the University

Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst idea to take this opportunity to hand over RepRap to his successor or to a, well, RepRap Research Foundation. Similar to how Linux is maintained by the Linux Foundation. Just an idea.]]> Traumflug General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:22:12 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156418#msg-156418 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156418#msg-156418 droftarts General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 10:56:18 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156402#msg-156402 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156402#msg-156402
Adrian has now retired from the University and all RepRap activities will be coming to a close shortly as far as the University is concerned(Well once I finish writing my thesis). He's just updating his contact details.]]> rhysjones General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:35:15 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156396#msg-156396 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156396#msg-156396 thejollygrimreaper General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:03:10 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156385#msg-156385 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156385#msg-156385 It's been rehashed ad nauseam in the other... three (?) threads.]]> orcinus General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:37:43 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156373#msg-156373 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156373#msg-156373
the only solution to this mess is to get Adrian Bowyer ,Bre Pettis , Josef Prusa and a few other key people need to get into the same chat room/skype call/whatever and get some of the questions answered,]]> thejollygrimreaper General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:38:03 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156372#msg-156372 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156372#msg-156372
And whoever raises his finger here may ask himself if there hadn't been a time when he was dreaming of earning money by his skills and knowledge concerning reprap.

I do not regard it as fair play to declare someone as a Saint, search for evidence that he isn't, and then conclude that he must be a devil instead.]]> theodleif General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:27:33 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156368#msg-156368 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156368#msg-156368
And as one of the share-holders of MBI of the first time he seems to know, what's going up here ;)

More interesting for me is the story around Zach, how he started/initiated MBI on his GEN3 electronics and was 'outsourced' this year :S]]> VDX General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:15:43 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156360#msg-156360 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156360#msg-156360
Quote
VDX
Adrian stated several times [...]

Just because Adrian says so doesn't mean it shouldn't be subject to discussion. And last year, there was no RepRapPro.

Quote
jamesdanielv
open source requires those that protect the interests of the community.

Exactly. How can one commercial entity protect the interests of other (commercial) entities and the people related to these other entities? Such behaviour can exist, but it isn't exactly typical. MakerBot can play nice with the files in Thingiverse, but people fear they don't.]]> Traumflug General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:28:05 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156356#msg-156356 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156356#msg-156356 jamesdanielv General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:04:59 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156352#msg-156352 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156352#msg-156352 VDX General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:57:03 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156350#msg-156350 Re: RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156350#msg-156350 "The copyright covers the teardrop device, the neologism "RepRap" in upper, lower, or any mix of cases in any typeface, and the phrase "Fused Filament Fabrication" and its abbreviation to "FFF". The teardrop, "RepRap", "Fused Filament Fabrication" and "FFF" are also covered by the GPL. Anyone can use them freely in any way they choose, but they may not be registered as trademarks or restricted in any other way."]]> droftarts General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:55:20 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156348#msg-156348 RepRap it's self going commercial, too? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,156348,156348#msg-156348
Now this representant apparently has changed his hat from being a university member to being the member of one of the commercial enterprises in and around RepRap.

I'm well aware Ardian is just THE hero to many here. He's the speaker of those few (Vik Olliver would be another one) who continued with the initial experiments until, after a long journey, RepRap finally took off. Nevertheless, with the move described above I see parallels with MakerBots changes to Thingiverse back in February which caused quite a stir in out community recently: [forums.reprap.org] [forums.reprap.org]

What do you think?]]> Traumflug General Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:48:03 -0400