The surprisingly complex history of 3DBenchy
The Atomic Layers: S6E12 (00159)
Atomic Layer of the Day:
Even if you’re deeply immersed in solving the most intricate challenges of additive manufacturing daily and haven’t used a desktop FFF 3D printer since before the pandemic, you know what 3DBenchy is.
Because anyone who uses a 3D printer knows what 3DBenchy is.
This funny, cartoonish boat model, which sinks the moment it’s placed in water, has served for years as a benchmark for testing 3D printers. 3DBenchy was designed to provide a broad spectrum of geometric challenges for 3D printers, addressing most issues associated with FFF technology, including surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and material shrinkage. The model should be printed at a 1:1 scale relative to the design without generating supports.
But does anyone actually know the story behind this model? Who created it? And that, for the past few days, it’s been at the center of confusing controversies concerning copyright, including remix rights?
The creator of 3DBenchy is Swedish designer Daniel Norée, who developed the model while working at Creative Tools (CT), a Swedish company. CT was involved in selling 3D printers and undertaking various other projects related to AM.
3DBenchy was published on Thingiverse on April 9, 2015. CT approached the project professionally, even creating a dedicated website, www.3dbenchy.com (which, unfortunately, is no longer active).
The model quickly gained immense popularity, becoming one of the most printed 3D models in the history of 3D printing. As its creator intended, it was widely used for testing and comparing 3D printers. The model was offered under the Creative Commons – NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. We’ll return to this shortly...
CT wasn’t just focused on 3D printing—it was also, and perhaps primarily, a software company. Founded in 2004 by Paulo Kiefe and Mona Kiefe, they specialized in software for the movie and gaming industries. In 2018, the company was sold and withdrew from 3D printing entirely, focusing solely on software. By that time, Daniel Norée, the creator of 3DBenchy, was already working elsewhere.
In March of last year, Creative Tools was acquired again, by the Danish company NTI Group, Europe’s leading software and services provider for the construction, design, and manufacturing industries.
And this is where the story gets confusing...
As you might imagine, NTI Group—a large IT conglomerate—had no idea that by acquiring CT, it also inherited the copyrights to 3DBenchy.
Recently, however, someone filed a claim with Prusa Research, the owner of the Printables platform, alleging a violation of the 3DBenchy license concerning remixing the model and its use in other projects. Printables, which has some history dealing with copyright claims regarding 3D models, began removing files that seemed controversial.
This, in turn, sparked a stir on Reddit, where remix creators started fueling the drama.
Ultimately, ALL3DP got involved, reaching out to both Prusa Research and NTI. After an exchange of emails, it turned out that no one had officially submitted any claims. The report received by Prusa was found to be “unofficial”.
Really strange.
Nevertheless, 3DBenchy continues to drift on the uncertain waters of ownership confusion. This story is starting to resemble the saga of France’s Le FabShop—a company responsible for many other iconic 3D printing designs.
Atomic Layer from the Past:
01-12-2017: CELLINK launched revolutionary BIO X bioprinter.
News & Gossip:
Calling All Canadians! We are now accepting applications from Canadian companies to be featured in The 3D Printing World Guide. Only seven spots remain! Read specifics on LinkedIn, and send us application on am-writer.com.
I’ve heard Ric Fulop is already pitching his new unicorn-grade business idea to investors. His third venture after A123 Systems and Desktop Metal. But that’s just a rumor. He-said, she-said... Moving on.
In the past week, AM companies have experienced significant declines on the stock markets. BLT and Farsoon continue to lose several percentage points, translating into millions of dollars in market value. In fact, the only ones to record growth were Stratasys, Markforged, and Velo3D.