The US manufacturer Intrepid Automation has filed a patent lawsuit against 3D Systems. The company is accusing its competitor of taking over protected technologies for large-format DLP 3D printers without permission. The dispute centers on 3D Systems’ PSLA 270 printing system, which the plaintiff claims is a copy of Intrepid’s Range 3D printer.
The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court in California. Intrepid is seeking an injunction against the sale of the PSLA 270 system, payment of damages and reimbursement of legal costs. If a sales ban is not enforced, Intrepid is demanding a license fee for each use of the technology in question.
Intrepid accuses 3D Systems of infringing two of its patents (US patents 11,014,301 and 11,338,511). These relate to the multi-projection DLP printing process, which uses multiple light sources to expose large print areas simultaneously. The process enables higher speed and improved surface quality.
In addition to the patent infringement, Intrepid alleges that a former 3D Systems employee gained access to confidential development data in 2021 under the pretext of a job interview. This person is said to have then specifically asked for technical details in order to obtain information about the patented printing process. This data was then allegedly used for the development of the PSLA 270.
3D Systems rejects the allegations and has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The company argues that Intrepid’s patents have not been comprehensively proven and that essential filter components that would be required for patent infringement are missing from the PSLA 270. In addition, 3D Systems accuses the plaintiff of stealing company secrets when its founders left the company.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
3DPresso is a weekly newsletter that links to the most exciting global stories from the 3D printing and additive manufacturing industry.
