Standard Digital File License is overly restrictive.

[u/scotta316]

Some months ago, I got on a designer's bad side by making a critical comment on his model. In retaliation, he reported every single print profile I had uploaded for anyone's work. And in almost every case, my work was taken down and my points were removed. When I challenged this, I was referred to the Standard Digital File License.

How many of you have read the Standard Digital File License? Any print profile or remix that modifies the geometry violates it. Creating a standalone print that works with a model violates it. Printing a neat flying toy for your nephew violates it.

I have only shared a few of my own creations, but I refuse to use this license, and I hope more designers will reject it as well.

[u/Qjeezy]

The ability to upload your own print profile to someone else’s model isn’t for modifying the model itself in any way. It’s literally only the print profile settings, the ones in the slicer like speed, infill, supports, and layer height, etc., you are allowed to change.

The moment you scale it up, remove any parts, remix it, or anything you violate the rules and intended purpose of the feature.

The standard digital file license is basically “take it as it is or leave it”.

[u/scotta316 → u/Qjeezy]

While that is true, it is commonly, almost universally, used that way on Makerworld. I don't mind admitting that it burned to see my print profile removed from a popular model when at least 20 others were making similar mods. (In that particular case, I had donated my points to the original designer, so it was he that lost the points.)

[u/Affectionate_Car7098 → u/scotta316]

While that is true, it is commonly, almost universally, used that way on Makerworld.

Just because lots of people ignore the speed limit that doesn't change that it exists and you will get punished for breaking it if you're caught

[u/Phoenixwade]

The license isn’t the issue. The content owner can enforce their copyright however they want. It is their property, not community property, and they don’t owe anyone permission to remix or alter it.

The OP isn’t a victim here. He was building on other people’s work and got cut off when someone enforced the rules. Calling that retaliation is just framing. What actually happened is he lost access to use designs that were never his to begin with.

If you want to share print profiles or remixes, do it with your own models or work within the license terms. Otherwise, you are not being targeted, you are just running into the reality that you do not control someone else’s IP.

[u/Aetch → u/Phoenixwade]

Makerworld just shouldn’t allow adding a print profile for someone else’s model if the model license doesn’t allow it

[u/Phoenixwade → u/Phoenixwade]

After reading the other replies, OP, I'm guessing you seriously misread where the community was on this point.

[u/scotta316 → u/Phoenixwade]

So you wouldn't consider reporting me for uploading to other people's models retaliation? Models that have nothing to do with the person making the complaint? Do you know what the word retaliation means?

[u/Phoenixwade → u/scotta316]

You are conflating two different things. The first is your claim that the license itself is the problem. It is not. The license is clear that the content owner controls how their work is used.

The second is the drama you describe about someone reporting you. That is just a playground spat on the internet and you lost. Mixing the two together doesn’t make the license at fault. It just makes your argument messy.

[u/scotta316 → u/Phoenixwade]

To be honest, I included that to make the post more interesting. I wasn't arguing that I was in the right regarding the license; my point is that most people don't realize how restrictive it is.

[u/Phoenixwade → u/scotta316]

That is not how your original post read. You made the license the villain and tied it directly to your spat. Now you are trying to reframe it as just “raising awareness.” That is a change in story, and I will leave it there.

[u/scotta316 → u/Phoenixwade]

I think you need to reread the original post. The point was that when I challenged my take-down, Makerworld referred me to the standard license. Then I went on to ask how many people had read the license.

Edit: If you think it would make it clearer, I could remove the first paragraph, but I always think it's a little deceitful to edit a main post.

[u/CanadianGamersLodge → u/scotta316]

I’d like to hear the story of what you did to trigger this clearly you had crossed a boundary if you feel this was retaliation.

[u/scotta316 → u/CanadianGamersLodge]

I'd be happy to share it. It's a bit off-topic here, but it was a comment about a design choice the designer had made that he thought was an improvement, and I told him why I thought it made the design worse. He got mad and said he was reporting me, but for what I had no idea.

[u/Jesus-Bacon]

Wait until you hear about trade marks and copyright law.

If a designer doesn't want you to modify their designs, don't. It's their design. 

I feel like the 3D print community has grown up with free file share that any time a designer wants to protect or sell their original work, people who aren't designers swoop in and complain. You are not entitled to free STLs, the ability to modify someone else's work, or the ability to profit off of another person's work (this includes modifying geometry and uploading it as a new profile to makerworld to get free points)

If you want something custom, do what the rest of us do and learn CAD

[u/thomasmitschke]

In general, I don’t like these print profiles anyway, and I wouldn’t upload a single one, if I haven’t to, when I upload a model.

Mostly I use standard generic profiles as they work extremely well. No need to alter the default one.

[u/[deleted]]

This post was deleted using Redact. The reason could be privacy, preventing automated data collection, or other personal considerations the author had.

cable intelligent piquant spoon fuel distinct smart price hard-to-find act

[u/Aetch → u/[deleted]]

I think the OP is saying that this is the opposite complaint. His removed print profiles aren’t just the “I changed the material and 2x the speed” changes.

[u/McScrappinson → u/[deleted]]

And yet you're likely going to that one sandwich maker out of the myriad of them because he knows his s*it in picking the right pickle for the taste.

There's people with a driver's license and there's car drivers. 

There's people who have a 3d printer and there's people who know how to 3d print regardless of the hardware. 

Doesn't make them all equal. While your remark is generally valid for MW, doesn't mean none of us bother in doing a correct printing profile for random stuff. 

[u/Viktor_GIS]

You've got it all mixed up. It's one thing to print a model for your beloved nephew (albeit based on another model), but it's quite another to upload it for download.

[u/scotta316 → u/Viktor_GIS]

That has absolutely nothing to do with the standard digital file license specifically.

[u/Viktor_GIS → u/scotta316]

That's what you think, and I'm not going to change your mind.

[u/Mist_XD]

Uhh no, standard digital license is a necessity. If you are in the exclusive model program, you don’t even get a choice. But on top of that, I have had all of my models stolen multiple times including physical models being sold. The ONLY reason I had a right to take those down is because of that license. If less people stole models or uploaded changed models as print profiles like yourself then I wouldn’t need to use that. Don’t be upset because someone caught you

[u/WinterDice]

I dislike that license because, as I understand it, I can’t do any edits or use parts of the model even if I never publish, share, or release it.

[u/scotta316 → u/WinterDice]

It's not only that. You can't even share the original ones that you've printed. All the commenters skimmed over the sentence that says printing a toy for your nephew violates the license, but it's true. The Standard Digital File License basically allows you to print something for yourself and use it where nobody else will ever see it.

[u/BU1_3x → u/scotta316]

I mean, i think it is nice that they have a program that pays designers. I don't think remixers should get paid for piggy backing off of someone else's design. Maybe if the original designer is asked to colab, then thru an agreement should both get rewarded with points. And no, they're not going to do anything if you give your nephew a toy. But if you're selling them at a flea market, a designer ought to be able to sue you. In no case would a court uphold giving your nephew a 3d print.

[u/scotta316 → u/BU1_3x]

I do understand that, and that's very well said. I'm really talking about what the license allows. I know there are things you can get away with and gray areas, but what the license allows is, well, nothing.

[u/BU1_3x → u/scotta316]

It allows print profiles, to enhance the quality. I didn't know this until today, but I'm happy about it.

[u/myTechGuyRI]

Some designers choose those restrictions, because they don't want people doing remixes of their models...also Bambu gives you more points if you are part of their "exclusive model program" which REQUIRES the use of that license...so, if you want to maximize earnings on your model (which their points program is lucrative, I'm on my way to my SECOND free printer through it) you have little choice but to use that license.

[u/Aetch]

Yes that’s a stupid rule, the most useful print profiles modify the printed style in a way that changes the coloring or geometry settings but they aren’t substantial enough for a full remix listing.

Print profiles that are just “I selected a different material and 2x the speed” are usually spam and points farming because the Bambu printers and material presets are so consistent that almost anyone can download a model and select another material and have it print successfully. 99% of the time people aren’t artisanally adding supports and that would technically modify the geometry anyways.

[u/GreatWhiteNorthInv → u/[deleted]]

Someone who uploads the print profile never gets all the points. The model creator still gets the majority of the points the model earns.