MakerBot: Difference between revisions
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MakerBot was at one point, the market leader in desktop FDM 3D printers, but its market dominance was steadily eroded by an explosion in popularity of less-expensive, open-source competitors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zaleski |first=Andrew |date=2015-11-27 |title=Why MakerBot and 3D Systems are Losing the Desktop 3D Market |url=https://fortune.com/2015/11/27/why-makerbot-and-3d-systems-are-losing-the-desktop-3d-market/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027020235/https://fortune.com/2015/11/27/why-makerbot-and-3d-systems-are-losing-the-desktop-3d-market/ |archive-date=2017-10-27 |website=[[FORTUNE]]}}</ref> Its closed-source machines and business practices proved to be unpopular with the largely DIY-focused maker community. Starting in 2015, MakerBot began to focus more on the enterprise and education markets, ultimately abandoning the consumer market by 2017. It also laid off hundreds of employees during this time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pearson |first=Jordan |date=2015-04-17 |title=MakerBot Just Laid Off 20 Percent of Its Staff |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/makerbot-just-laid-off-20-percent-of-its-staff/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251004104042/https://www.vice.com/en/article/makerbot-just-laid-off-20-percent-of-its-staff/ |archive-date=2025-10-04 |website=[[VICE]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=King |first=Rachel |date=2017-02-15 |title=MakerBot Prepares for Another Round of Layoffs |url=https://fortune.com/2017/02/15/makerbot-3d-printing-layoffs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702132043/https://fortune.com/2017/02/15/makerbot-3d-printing-layoffs/ |archive-date=2017-07-02 |website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> | MakerBot was at one point, the market leader in desktop FDM 3D printers, but its market dominance was steadily eroded by an explosion in popularity of less-expensive, open-source competitors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zaleski |first=Andrew |date=2015-11-27 |title=Why MakerBot and 3D Systems are Losing the Desktop 3D Market |url=https://fortune.com/2015/11/27/why-makerbot-and-3d-systems-are-losing-the-desktop-3d-market/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027020235/https://fortune.com/2015/11/27/why-makerbot-and-3d-systems-are-losing-the-desktop-3d-market/ |archive-date=2017-10-27 |website=[[FORTUNE]]}}</ref> Its closed-source machines and business practices proved to be unpopular with the largely DIY-focused maker community. Starting in 2015, MakerBot began to focus more on the enterprise and education markets, ultimately abandoning the consumer market by 2017. It also laid off hundreds of employees during this time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pearson |first=Jordan |date=2015-04-17 |title=MakerBot Just Laid Off 20 Percent of Its Staff |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/makerbot-just-laid-off-20-percent-of-its-staff/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251004104042/https://www.vice.com/en/article/makerbot-just-laid-off-20-percent-of-its-staff/ |archive-date=2025-10-04 |website=[[VICE]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=King |first=Rachel |date=2017-02-15 |title=MakerBot Prepares for Another Round of Layoffs |url=https://fortune.com/2017/02/15/makerbot-3d-printing-layoffs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702132043/https://fortune.com/2017/02/15/makerbot-3d-printing-layoffs/ |archive-date=2017-07-02 |website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> | ||
On August 31, 2022, Stratasys finalized a merger between MakerBot and its long-time market competitor Ultimaker.<ref>https://investors.stratasys.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/793/stratasys-completes-merger-of-makerbot-with-ultimaker | On August 31, 2022, Stratasys finalized a merger between MakerBot and its long-time market competitor Ultimaker.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-13 |title=Stratasys Completes Merger of MakerBot With Ultimaker |url=https://investors.stratasys.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/793/stratasys-completes-merger-of-makerbot-with-ultimaker |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251221201519/https://investors.stratasys.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/793/stratasys-completes-merger-of-makerbot-with-ultimaker |archive-date=2025-12-21 |website=[[Stratasys]]}}</ref> The merged company is known as Ultimaker, with the MakerBot branding only retained for its Sketch line of education-focused 3D printers. | ||
==Consumer-impact summary== | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
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===Ditching open-source (2012):=== | ===Ditching open-source (2012):=== | ||
MakerBot abandoned its original open-source business practices in favor of developing closed-source machines with proprietary components and software.<ref>https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/pulling-back-from-open-source-hardware-makerbot-angers-some-adherents/ | MakerBot abandoned its original open-source business practices in favor of developing closed-source machines with proprietary components and software.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Rich |date=2012-09-27 |title=Pulling back from open source hardware, MakerBot angers some adherents |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/pulling-back-from-open-source-hardware-makerbot-angers-some-adherents/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260124092943/https://www.cnet.com/web/20260124092943/https:/www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/pulling-back-from-open-source-hardware-makerbot-angers-some-adherents/ |archive-date=2026-01-24 |website=[[CNET]]}}</ref> The move was unpopular with consumers, and MakerBot began to lose its market share to less-expensive, open-source 3D printers over the course of the next decade. | ||
===Change to Thingiverse terms of use (2012):=== | ===Change to Thingiverse terms of use (2012):=== | ||
MakerBot updated the Thingiverse [[Terms of service|terms of use]], appearing to assert ownership over anything uploaded to the site, despite users being allowed to dictate their own usage terms under Creative Commons.<ref>https://hackaday.com/2012/09/20/makerbot-occupy-thingiverse-and-the-reality-of-selling-open-hardware/ | MakerBot updated the Thingiverse [[Terms of service|terms of use]], appearing to assert ownership over anything uploaded to the site, despite users being allowed to dictate their own usage terms under Creative Commons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Benchoff |first=Brian |date=2012-09-20 |title=Makerbot, Occupy Thingiverse, And The Reality Of Selling Open Hardware |url=https://hackaday.com/2012/09/20/makerbot-occupy-thingiverse-and-the-reality-of-selling-open-hardware/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251008101056/https://hackaday.com/2012/09/20/makerbot-occupy-thingiverse-and-the-reality-of-selling-open-hardware/ |archive-date=2025-10-08 |website=[[Hackaday]]}}</ref> The terms of use in section 3.1 currently state that ''"You retain all your intellectual property rights in your User Content. Company does not claim ownership in any User Content."'' These terms were introduced on January 3rd, 2023. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-03 |title=Terms of Use - MakerBot |url=https://www.makerbot.com/legal/terms-of-use/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026122907/https://www.makerbot.com/legal/terms-of-use/ |archive-date=2023-10-26 |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=[[MakerBot]] |at=3.1 |language=English |quote=You retain all your intellectual property rights in your User Content. Company does not claim ownership in any User Content.}}</ref> | ||
===Accusations of IP theft (2014):=== | ===Accusations of IP theft (2014):=== | ||
MakerBot was accused of stealing and patenting user-uploaded designs from its public design repository, Thingiverse.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20160501050442/http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/05/28/makerbot-become-takerbot/</ref> MakerBot denied wrongdoing and showed its patents were filed before the contested designs were shared, but the accusation highlighted ongoing concerns with Thingiverse's terms of use.<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/28/makerbot-responds-to-critics-who-claim-it-is-stealing-community-ip/ | MakerBot was accused of stealing and patenting user-uploaded designs from its public design repository, Thingiverse.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Molitch-Hou |first=Michael |date=2014-05-28 |title=Has MakerBot Become TakerBot? |url=http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/05/28/makerbot-become-takerbot/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501050442/http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/05/28/makerbot-become-takerbot/ |archive-date=2016-05-01 |website=[[3D Printing Industry]]}}</ref> MakerBot denied wrongdoing and showed its patents were filed before the contested designs were shared, but the accusation highlighted ongoing concerns with Thingiverse's terms of use.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Biggs |first=John |date=2014-05-28 |title=MakerBot Responds To Critics Who Claim It Is Stealing Community IP |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/28/makerbot-responds-to-critics-who-claim-it-is-stealing-community-ip/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251111041317/https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/28/makerbot-responds-to-critics-who-claim-it-is-stealing-community-ip/ |archive-date=2025-11-11 |website=[[TechCrunch]]}}</ref> | ||
===Sued for Smart Extruder unreliability (2015):=== | ===Sued for Smart Extruder unreliability (2015):=== | ||
Makerbot was hit with a [[class-action lawsuit]], claiming the Smart Extruder for its fifth-generation printers was deliberately engineered to fail in order to boost sales for replacement components.<ref>https://makezine.com/article/digital-fabrication/3d-printing-workshop/makerbot-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-faulty-extruders/ | Makerbot was hit with a [[class-action lawsuit]], claiming the Smart Extruder for its fifth-generation printers was deliberately engineered to fail in order to boost sales for replacement components.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stultz |first=Matt |date=2015-07-14 |title=MakerBot Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Faulty Extruders |url=https://makezine.com/article/digital-fabrication/3d-printing-workshop/makerbot-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-faulty-extruders/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251210235308/https://makezine.com/article/digital-fabrication/3d-printing-workshop/makerbot-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-faulty-extruders/ |archive-date=2025-12-10 |website=[[Make:]]}}</ref> The suit was dismissed by the court, which decided that MakerBot did not mislead customers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Nick |date=2016-07-12 |title=Class action lawsuit against MakerBot dismissed |url=https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/class-action-makerbot-dismissed-85388/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251004104042/https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/class-action-makerbot-dismissed-85388/ |archive-date=2025-10-04 |website=[[3D Printing Industry]]}}</ref> MakerBot would later release a more reliable, albeit more expensive Smart Extruder+.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=2016-01-04 |title=MakerBot is replacing its most ill-fated 3D printing product |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/4/10677740/new-makerbot-smart-extruder-plus-3d-printer-ces-2016 |url-status=live |website=[[The Verge]]}} ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251112144433/https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/4/10677740/new-makerbot-smart-extruder-plus-3d-printer-ces-2016 Archived])</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||