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Prusa CEO declares "open hardware desktop 3D printing is dead" - China blamed
for causing the beginning of the end

Date:
Sun, 24 Aug 2025 19:28:00 +0000

Description:
Prusa declares open hardware 3D printing dead, blaming Chinas subsidies,
patent imbalance, and disputes transformed collaborative innovation into a
competitive and increasingly restrictive global industry.

FULL STORY

The open source movement in 3D printing once thrived on shared designs,
community projects, and collaboration across borders. 

However, Josef Prusa, head of Prusa Research, has announced, open hardware
desktop 3D printing is dead. 

The remark stands out because his company long championed open designs,
sharing files and innovations with the wider community.

Economic support and patent challenges

Prusa built his early business in a small basement in Prague, packing frames
into pizza boxes while relying on contributions from others who shared his
philosophy. 

What has changed, he now argues, is not consumer demand but the imbalance
created when the Chinese government labeled 3D printing a strategic industry
in 2020. 

In his blog post , Prusa cites a study from the Rhodium Group which describes
how China backs its firms with grants, subsidies, and easier credit. 

This makes it much cheaper to manufacture machines there than in Europe or
North America. 

The issue grows more complicated when looking at patents. In China,
registering a claim costs as little as $125, while challenging one ranges 
from $12,000 to $75,000. 

This gap has encouraged a surge of local filings, often on designs that trace
back to open source projects. 

Prusas earlier machines, such as the Original i3, proudly displayed 
components from partners like E3D and Noctua, embodying a spirit of 
community, but were also easy to copy, with entire guides appearing online
just months after release. 

The newest Prusa printers, including the MK4 and Core ONE, now restrict 
access to key electronic designs, even while offering STL files for printed
parts. 

The Nextruder system is fully proprietary, marking a clear retreat from total
openness. 

Prusa argues Chinese firms are effectively locking down technology the
community meant to share - as while a patent in China does not block his
company from selling in Europe, it prevents access to the Chinese market. 

A bigger risk emerges when agencies like the US Patent Office treat such
patents as prior art, creating hurdles that are expensive and time-consuming
to clear. 

Prusa cited the case of the Chinese company, Anycubic, securing a US patent 
on a multicolor hub that appears similar to the MMU system his company first
released in 2016. 

Years earlier, Bambu Lab introduced its A1 series, also drawing inspiration
from the same concept. 

Anycubic now sells the Kobra 3 Combo with this feature, raising questions
about how agencies award patents and who holds legitimate claims. 

Meanwhile, Bambu Lab faces separate legal battles with Stratasys, the 
American pioneer whose patents once kept 3D printing confined to costly
industrial use. 

Declaring the end of open hardware may be dramatic, but the pressures are
real. 

Between state subsidies, permissive patent rules, and rising disputes, the
foundation of open collaboration is eroding. 

Via Toms Hardware

======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/prusa-ceo-declares-open-hardware-desktop-3d-prin
ting-is-dead-china-blamed-for-causing-the-beginning-of-the-end

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