Honda 3d printer

Honda Orders Big Takedown of Honda-Related 3D Printing Models From Maker Communities

3D printing has been one of the greatest introductions to the automotive DIY scene in years. I've written about it before, and it's amazing to watch problems get solved with unique solutions from imaginative minds across the globe. What's more, it's great to see car companies embrace the maker community, even supplying the plans to help build and share custom parts.

Unfortunately, not all automakers share that same sentiment.

via Printables

Recently, I noticed a part that I made for my Honda Accord was removed from Printables, the newly rebranded 3D printing repository offered by Prusa. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for it, but I didn't think anything else about it...until reports of a mass deletion started popping up on Reddit.

All models referencing the word "Honda" posted prior to March 30, 2022, were seemingly removed from Printables without warning. These included speaker brackets, key housings, hood latches, shifter bushings, washer fluid caps, roof latch handles, and my trunk lid handle—a part not offered on 10th generation Accords sold in the U. S. at all. In fact, many of the removed parts had no Honda branding but were just compatible with Honda vehicles. As it turns out, Prusa says it was issued a takedown notice from Honda and removed all 3D models that referenced the brand.

"I can confirm to you that we have received a letter from a lawyer representing Honda, informing us that we were required to remove any model which used 'Honda' in the listing, the model itself, or one of several trademarks/logos also associated with Honda," a Prusa spokesperson told The Drive in an email. "This will also be related to the naming of the files it self (sic), as for Honda this would be considered as a violation of their trademark/patents."

A Prusa employee responded to a post on the company's forums, noting that Honda sent a "huge legal document" that covered every model that the company wished to have deleted. The document reportedly included items that did not have Honda logos, but also specific items with certain shapes and dimensions—like a washer fluid reservoir cap, for example.

A response from another employee was posted suggesting other sites that host 3D models were also sent a similar takedown notice. These files still remain up on Thingiverse, Thangs, and other repositories at the time of publishing, however.

Honda Motors North America informed me the order was issued by Honda Motors Europe, though the latter did not respond when repeatedly asked for comment on the matter. Prusa also declined to provide The Drive with a copy of the document to review.

The trunk handle pull I designed for my Honda Accord.

While it's true that Honda must protect its trademarks and intellectual property, this particular scenario crosses into a legal conundrum. If a part doesn't feature a Honda logo on it and simply states that it's compatible with a particular vehicle, does that give Honda the right to enforce a potential trademark or copyright violation? Sort of.

A lot of it comes down to wording. Some files that were taken down were named something along the lines of "Honda Civic Cup Holder," whereas others were titled similar to the likeness of "Cup Holder for Honda Civic. " The order of that wording matters and could be the reason Honda responded in the way it did, and it's why Prusa obliged by taking down all items that referenced the Honda brand.

"From a trademark law perspective, there definitely can be a difference," said Maya Eckstein, a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth that specializes in the law surrounding additive manufacturing, in an email to The Drive. "Every situation is fact-specific, but, generally speaking, the former suggests that the cup holder was manufactured by Honda or is endorsed by Honda (i.e. that Honda is the “source” of the item being sold), risking a likelihood of confusion and, thus, a trademark violation. The latter doesn’t necessarily do that; it falls into the category of nominative fair use, where you are merely describing the thing being sold but not implying sponsorship or endorsement by the brand."

Eckstein does have a word of advice for makers who want to continue producing these types of files and distributing them to the community: "When referring to a brand in this way, it’s important to refer to it simply; using the brand’s distinctive logos, lettering, coloring, etc. , could lead to a likelihood of confusion about whether the brand is the source of the product."

Some items have been re-uploaded after the March 30th purge | via Printables

"We are working with other companies to make them realize this should be embraced and not hunted down," said Josef Prusa, CEO of Prusa Research in a Reddit thread.

At the end of the day, Honda's decision to protect its property is warranted; however, Prusa's statement that the automaker issued a takedown of "any model which used 'Honda' in the listing" feels overly broad and perhaps an overreach of fair use. It also feels like a setback for the maker community as a whole.

Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: [email protected]

Honda Has Demanded the Removal of All Brand-Related 3D Printable Files

Published on April 28, 2022 by Madeleine P.

One of the biggest uses of 3D printing has been to create customized parts in the automotive world. Creative minds around the world are solving problems or customizing their cars with the help of additive manufacturing. And many of the automotive companies support this community of makers, in fact there are several that provide drawings and files to help build and share these custom parts. A recent example of this was Ford, which released a large number of files to 3D print accessories for the Maverick model. However, not all automakers share the same sentiment.

Recently, automaker Honda asked 3D printer manufacturer Prusa to remove all files with the brand name from its “Printables” platform. A Prusa spokesperson explained to The Drive, “I can confirm that we have received a letter from a lawyer representing Honda, informing us that we were required to remove any model which used ‘Honda’ in the listing, the model itself, or one of several trademarks/logos also associated with Honda. This will also be related to the naming of the files it self (sic), as for Honda this would be considered as a violation of their trademark/patents”

Example file for 3D printing a part by Thingiverse (Image credits: Thingiverse).

In the past, the additive manufacturing community has made available numerous open source designs and files for fixtures and other parts from well-known brands. For example, global electronics firm Panasonic has made more than 75,000 free CAD files available to customers for its electronic components. So has automaker Ford, which released CAD files for customers to print their own Maverick pickup truck accessories.

Honda Models on Printables

Last week, manufacturers began reporting on Reddit that their Honda-related 3D models had been removed from Printables without warning. Those files included windshield washer fluid caps, key covers and more. Many of these parts did not have Honda branding explicitly written on them but were compatible with Honda vehicles.

According to Prusa, the mass deletion is the result of the notice issued by Honda, as they do not want to get into a legal fight with the automaker, and given the tight timeframe they had to respond to the letter, they complied with the request. The 3D files affected by this mass deletion were not only those containing Honda logos, but also specific elements with certain shapes and dimensions that the company perceived as an infringement of its trademarks.

What is interesting about the decision is that according to the reddit posts some of these files were spare parts created by the community. It is well known that after a certain period, many automotive manufacturers choose to discontinue parts for vehicles, ostensibly due to lack of demand and high costs related to making these parts. However, 3D printing has often been put forth as a solution to this issue. In this case, it seems the manufacturer would prefer that any parts for Honda come specifically from the company. Though, the carmaker has remained tight lipped on the decision.

Despite the files removed from Printables, we can still find Honda-related 3D files on Thingiverse and Thangs. What do you think of the decision made by Honda and intellectual property within the industry? What do you think of this microfluidic bioprinting method? Let us know in a comment below or on our Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.

*Photo Credits: Sourav Mishra

Best Models for 3D Printing Honda・Cults

cerclage compteur 125 cb twin

2,50 €

Tank cap lock 125 cb twin

2 €

Oil level dipstick - oil tank cap from moped Honda dio af-68 NSK50SH-9 Part number: 15651-GFC-900

Free

Civic speaker adapter ring 8

Free

Honda City

~~5 €~~ -40% 3 €

Honda Pilot

3.50 €

Honda CR-V

3.50 €

SlingHAMMER - repeating slingshot / slingbow / crossbow gun / gun for 8mm 9 steel balls0003

€12. 50

Honda Accord EX

3,50 €

Honda HR-V

~~5 €~~ -40% 3 €

Lost Vape Orion Cup Holder

Free

Honda Ridgeline

~~5 €~~ -40% 3 €

Car

1.07 €

Honda Jazz

3.04 €

Honda Seat Belt Fake

Free

Spark holder

0.50 €

Honda Odyssey

~~5 €~~ -40% 3 €

VTX Logo

Free

Diffuser S2000 Voltex

1,50 €

MOTORCYCLE BUMPER PROTECTION

2. 79 €

Magazine component for the ADDERINI CROSSBOW PISTOL that can fire 12mm steel balls

Free

Honda Odyssey

3.04 €

Honda E

3.04 €

Adderini Long Picatinny

Free

Adderini Wings

Free

VR SAG Picatinny Rails

Free

Signal light Honda Zoomer X

Free

Sling Rifle

2.37 €

Lost in a random number

Free

Washer reservoir cap (Honda Jazz 2002)

Free

Adderini Brackets for 5 mm Thera-Tube

Free

Garbage Clips Honday Odyssey

Free

battery holder 125 cb twin

4 €

Honda XL350 tank mounting rubber - increased

Free

Pygmy Pirate One Shot - Whitebeard Pirates

5 €

Windshield Reducer for Honda ST1300 Pan European

Free

Honda Valve Cover Keychain

Free

Honda NX250 2-finger clutch lever v5

Free

Radio bezel for Honda Goldwing GL1200

Free

KEY FOB HONDA V2

Free

Turn Signal Blinker Extension

Free

Honda Civic

2. 85 €

Honda S2000

2.37 €

Keychain Honda

Free

SythShot Prot

3,50 €

Cold air intake filter

1.19 €

Manometer holder for 50 mm fork (right side)

4.75 €

Compressor piston for motocross 250cc 77mm

Free

Top Civic・Cults

3D Printer Models

H o n d a - lamp with car logo

2 €

Rear seat handle H Civic CRX ED9

3 €

H CRX ED9 sunroof

10 €

Civic speaker adapter ring 8

Free

Civic Rear Shock Spacer 7th Generation

Free

8th Generation Civic Hatchback Frame Fascia Double din Chinese Android Head Unit

Free

Honda crx

~~€45. 42~~ -80% 9.08 €

Keychain Civic EG

0,70 €

Bottle washer cap Jazz/Fit (Js Racing)

2 €

Autostar Clasique 1/24 1/18 rim

2,20 €

Keychain Civic EK9 Typer

0,70 €

civil 2010

€10.87

Keychain TypeR EP3

0,70 €

Civic Type r EP3 Brake air intake

25 €

Honda Civic

2.85 €

Honda Civic 92-95 Palm Rest Armrest Latch

Free

Honda Civic 92-95 Basic Trunk Emblem Badge

Free

radio din pressure sensor holder VW Corrado Golf Civic CRX Opel Ford Focus

€ 9.

Vintage Honda Emblem

Free

Civic Ferio Stl

7 €

Civic Si Coupe 2013

7 €

Civic Si Sedan 2008

7 €

STREET V1 BODYKIT EK9 FUJIMI 1/24 SCALE

10 €

Silhouette Civic EP2 Type R

0.62 €

Keychain "Metamorphoses" - S2000

~~3 €~~ -67% 0.99 €

Keychain "Metamorphoses" - Del Sol

~~3 €~~ -67% 0. 99 €

Gear shift knob Honda Civic

Free

CIVIC MK2 1979 CAR BODY WITH PRINT

4,59 €

Civic Mk2 1979 Printing machine by parts

9.20 €

Acura NSX RocketBunny 1/24 Tamiya

10.60 €

Toy car model

2.37 €

Rim SSR Speed Star

10 €

Rim SSR Super Star

10 €

Rim SSR Star Shark

10 €

Advan rim 3 pcs.

10 €

rim Hayashi Sakura

10 €