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MakerWorld

@MakerWorld

Protecting Creators' Rights on MakerWorld

MakerWorld protects creator credit, enforces the license the creator sets, and pays creators for downloads across brands. When others ignore those licenses, the entire community is harmed.

What Is Happening

We have received documented cases from creators, which indicate that Creality Cloud, Nexprint and MakerOnline contain unauthorized reuploads of their exclusive models originally published on MakerWorld, as well as accounts impersonating the original creators. Several of these models then appeared in printer advertisement, violating licenses such as no derivatives and non-commercial use. After multiple complaints with no corrective action, we formally initiated legal steps recently.

-Models hosted on MakerWorld were copied without permission to Creality Cloud, Nexprint and MakerOnline.

-Several of these models appeared in promotional ads despite creators clearly setting licenses that forbid commercial use or derivatives.

-Creators and we have attempted to resolve this through repeated reports. Most of the behavior did not stop, so we escalated through legal channels.

Our Stance

Thanks to your support, MakerWorld has built the most generous points and rewards programs in this industry. We welcome users from all printer brands and do not wall off access. Downloads by non-Bambu users still contribute income to creators.

This openness relies on honesty and respect for creators' rights.

Sharing on MakerWorld does not give away your rights. Public availability is not permission. If your license says non-commercial or no derivatives, others must respect that, including brands and platforms. Copyright always remains with the creator.

What We Are Doing Now

-Legal action: Legal steps have been initiated regarding the relevant parties, with further remedies reserved.

-Platform enforcement: Ongoing takedowns and documentation of repeat violations.

-Direct creator support: Our legal and operations teams have already helped around 2000 creators resolve over 4000 cases of unauthorized re-uploads and misuse, restoring attribution or securing removals where possible.

Beyond Competitor Platforms

We are also seeing increasingly severe infringements on third-party marketplaces such as Etsy, eBay, and Goofish, ranging from unauthorized resales of models to bundles of stolen content. Even when infringing listings are taken down after our reports, these sellers often return under new accounts or storefronts, repeating the same violations. This pattern of persistent, recurring infringement not only places a heavy burden on creators but also poses an ongoing threat to the health of the entire ecosystem. While enforcement is challenging due to the high burden of proof, we have made addressing these abuses a top priority and continue to track and act against repeat offenders.

Fast-Track Reporting for Creators

If you discover that your work has been used or sold without authorization on other platforms, please contact creatorprotection@makerworld.com and include the following information for faster review:

The URL of your original model on MakerWorld.
The URL of the infringing model.
A clear description of the infringement, including which parts were copied, modified, or reused.
Evidence of rights and authorship:
1. A screen recording showing the 3D model’s source file opened in its software, with a visible creation timeline (mandatory).
2. Any other supporting evidence of ownership (optional).
3. Please watermark all visual materials, such as images and PDFs, to protect your data.
Your contact information (mandatory):
1. Legal name
2. Phone number (including country code, for example +49)
3. Your email address
4. Full address (country or region, state or province, city, district, and street address)

If you find that your model has been reuploaded by another user on MakerWorld, please click the “IP Report” button located at the top right of the model page to submit a report. Our dedicated team will review the case and take appropriate action promptly.

Coming soon: A complete copyright protection system with faster detection, simpler enforcement and stronger penalties to keep your creations safe.

Thank you for creating, sharing and contributing to the MakerWorld community. We remain fully commited to defending your rights and holding any platform or seller accountable for misusing your work.

#Copyright Protection

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Comment (215)

@AdamL : This is all well and good , but please for the love of all that is good , do not use this nasty behavior as a reason to introduce DRM headaches into the 3D printer ecosystem. It will just cause a ton of issues, and I hope this is not the intent, but I do worry.

@MaKim : "Public availability is not permission" is such a key point!

@notDiru : im curious about what are you going to do with people asking for copyright when their 3d models are based on another IP. 🤔

The poster has replied

@bryan.3dprintin : @hparsons : when i say every model im referring to ones regarding comics super heroes etc that was created by disney, bandai, etc not the little christmas trees or nonsense peope think is cute that doesnt have an ip attached. Didn’t think i had to explain this.

@bryan.3dprintin : exactly my point.

@webbdavi : We need to find a new way to prove ownership other than the current mandatory screen recording of the source file with a visible timeline... This is the most unrealistic thing. As a creator I cannot 1) afford the space on my HD needed for such videos, 2) Blender is already taxing enough on my system, I couldn't imagine throwing on another program or two running on top of everything else. 3) this is just totally unrealistic for all my creations, holding on to all this data and videos forever? No, find a better way.

The poster has replied

@webbdavi : @StonkyTonk : What are you going on about? I never said any of what you're babbling about. Sit down and stop embarrassing yourself. Jesus I hate social media

@StonkyTonk : So basically you're proud that you had to use someone else's idea to have something good? Just because you make make a small change, doesn't make it yours.

@theStonefox : I am very much for this and its a nice initiative, however I remain skeptical at best. The thieves have everything going for them and we have very few going for us. I see my designs stolen left and right, there is nothing I can or that MW can do about it. Report, it gets taken down, and the thieves will do it all over again. mandatory). Am I supposed to record videos and save stages of the process in models creation now? This is unreasonable and proves nothing. What is a timeline supposed to look like anyway? ANy time a change is made, a screen shot? Again, a very good initiative, but it isnt as cut and dry as you laid it out. Model theft is like a hydra with a million heads, cut one off and 3 other appear. A dialogue must happen between BambuLab, Prusa, Creality and Elegoo in stamping out this kind of behaviour.

The poster has replied

@MakerWorld : You’re right, it’s a complex problem and reporting alone can feel like a game of whack-a-mole. While we can’t control all platforms, MakerWorld is committed to protecting creators as much as possible and improving our systems. Your points about workflow and collaboration between printer manufacturers are very valuable, and we’re actively exploring more practical ways to help creators prove ownership and combat theft.

@Dannco75 : And what of the exclusive models on bambumaker that have already been on thingiverse/printables since before bambu labs was even a thing? there are many models on here that are clearly stolen from other websites.

The poster has replied

@MakerWorld : If you spot any models that look like they were uploaded without permission, especially those marked exclusive, just let us know, we take that seriously. Also, some familiar models were uploaded by the original creators, or are authorized remixes. These remixes are often misunderstood as “copies,” and we’ve seen this confusion come up in many reports. You can always check the original source on the right side of the model page. If you have specific examples, feel free to share them. We’re happy to look into each case and keep things fair for everyone.

@Calmec87 : I've been fighting with etsy, nexprint, and crealitycloud all week. I'm so happy to see that I'll be supported by makerworld in the protection of my work!

@pepsimusic : I also support this movement

@user_4153416326 : I'm glad serious steps are taken. This community is amazing and must be protected. Although i'm sure it's hard to enforce such copyrights in many countries. We need better laws, and better systems to detect these fraudulent people.

@user_523080056 : I am the biggest mover. I have become powerful. I need to inform other users that it is illegal for others to move my models. And the models on my website are all legitimate. If the models on your own website are stolen and later used commercially by others, who should bear the responsibility?

The poster has replied

@MakerWorld : In the early days of MakerWorld, we did reach out to many creators on Printables through private messages and email invitations which is what Josef referred to as “spam.” However, we have NEVER engaged in any reverse-engineering or unauthorized copying of models. We have always respected and appreciated pioneers like Printables and Thingiverse. MakerWorld’s rapid growth comes from offering some of the most generous creator incentive programs in the industry - real financial rewards for creators. That’s the path we chose from day one, and it’s the path we’ll continue to follow.