Come February of 2014, a slew of selective laser sintering patents held by 3D Systems (DDD 6.27%) will be expiring. The last time key technology patents associated with 3-D printing expired, it sparked the open source movement that spawned the consumer-oriented 3-D printing revolution. In the video below, Fool.com contributor Steve Heller goes into detail about the patents, what their expiration could mean for the industry at large, and what it will likely mean for both 3D Systems and Stratasys (SSYS 2.39%), parent of MakerBot.
Expiring Patents: What 3-D Printing Investors Need to Know
By Steve Heller – Aug 1, 2013 at 1:01PM
NYSE: DDD
3D Systems
Market Cap
$389M
Today's Change
(-6.27%) $0.19
Current Price
$2.84
Price as of October 30, 2025 at 3:41 PM ET
Come February of 2014, a slew of selective laser sintering patents held by 3D Systems will be expiring. Here’s what you need to know.
About the Author
Covering GE and 3D printing at the intersection of business, investing, and what it means for the future of manufacturing. Contributor since December, 2012.
Follow @3DFool