3D Systems v. Formlabs Patent Lawsuit Dismissed

The lawsuit between Formlabs and 3D Systems relating to stereolithography has been dismissed with prejudice, a move that frees Formlabs to make their printers without fear of further patent problems.

3D Systems first sued Formlabs back in 2012 for patent infringement related to their laser-based stereolithography techniques. In the interim, the company has grown to 100 people and has released two printers, the Form 1 and the Form 1+. The printers shot lasers through a UV curable resin that hardened into a solid, cohesive object. Unlike filament-based printers like Makerbot, the Form 1 produces objects that are sold without lines of filament.

The patents related to 3D Systems strong back catalog of stereolithography IP. The battle between 3D Systems and Form Labs was a key point in the movie Print The Legend.

“It’s a big deal for us,” said Colin Raney of Formlabs. The terms of the settlement are undisclosed.

3D Systems v. Formlabs