The concept of selling project files to consumers

[Phuncz]

A while ago I stumbled onto this site: http://renderpockets.com/

$79.00

Renderpockets Lasercut files (2D DWG and 3D files). With this files you can lasercut as many renderpockets as you wish, you can also modify the design to your desire! 1 x Instructions how to use DXF files with Visicut software, PLEASE NOTE: ask your Lasercut facility if they can use DWG and DXF files, before buying!!

So basically for 79 dorra you get the files needed to print and find a company that does manufacturing (recommended by the site: http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/) which should be relatively easy when even my puny country has eight of them.

And then you could start printing at the price they charge ! Asking price aside, while this won't give people cheaper desktop cases per sé, I can see this being useful for stuff you need more than a few of, like custom or replacement parts for a case (think custom grilles), brackets, storage cages, maybe structure parts, etc.

Thoughts and ideas ?

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

Piracy would be a pretty big issue. Much less so if you were selling this alongside selling the physical thing yourself - even if an enthusiast can get the file for free, after all, their manufacturing cost would be higher and more laborious than that of a company. But the file alone would be basically impossible to secure, and that would kill a small company with ease.

I can think of two ways to address that, off the top of my head: Crowdfund to release the design and share it publicly if successful, or work out some sort of referral system where you get a cut of the revenues the fabs get for making the case. Neither would be easy, but they would be do-able.

 

[Ceros_X]

Also design popular case and sell the plans for cheaper than $79. If the cost of the item is cheaper/easier than it is to pirate, people buy it. See iTunes/Netflix with the ability to get same items for free online.

 

[Phuncz]

I can think of two ways to address that, off the top of my head: Crowdfund to release the design and share it publicly if successful, or work out some sort of referral system where you get a cut of the revenues the fabs get for making the case. Neither would be easy, but they would be do-able.

You bring up an interesting point with crowdfunding the design. Considerable as a stretch goal for instance, it could open possibilities.

While pirating is certainly an issue, the designer could add a customer's (nick)name or serial number that's included in the machining paths. While this isn't air-tight, it does offer a reasonable means of protecting the file from easy copying. While pirating will always exist, and in a way exists in cases too, if the price is reasonable to the value it will be much less of a problem.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

Also design popular case and sell the plans for cheaper than $79. If the cost of the item is cheaper/easier than it is to pirate, people buy it. See iTunes/Netflix with the ability to get same items for free online.

Right, and that's my point - if you're selling the physical item and not completely ripping people off, just buying that will be much easier for individuals than stealing the model and making it themselves.

If all you're doing is selling the model, though, then that dynamic isn't protecting you. And in any case, anyone who decides that they only want the model will still be presented with the choice of "costs money" or "free".

While pirating is certainly an issue, the designer could add a customer's (nick)name or serial number that's included in the machining paths. While this isn't air-tight, it does offer a reasonable means of protecting the file from easy copying. While pirating will always exist, and in a way exists in cases too, if the price is reasonable to the value it will be much less of a problem.

Short of asking for ID, you can never tie such a thing to an individual. And even if you could - well, what are you going to do, sue them? It's simply not practical unless you're a big company, and even then, there's no way to handle it that doesn't bite you back with negative PR.

From my perspective, when it comes to sharing the digital files for these things, that really shouldn't be motivated by profit. If it is, you're not going to do well, and any protections you impose will only encumber the honest users. It makes more sense to have a complimentary or alternative monetization strategy that aligns with the incentives of consumers, rather than one that tries to fight it.

 

[Phuncz]

It makes more sense to have a complimentary or alternative monetization strategy that aligns with the incentives of consumers, rather than one that tries to fight it.

Very well put, I agree.

 

[EdZ]

If you're selling the case for less than anyone could manufacture a single copy, then that effectively eliminates bootlegging by an individual (apart from those who just want to make things with their own hands). Bootlegging by a manufacturer would still be an issue, but will also be an issue as soon as your case is shipped and somebody can take it apart and measure it. Unless you have used a truly novel production process that makes it unreproducible, clones can occur as soon as your case is out in the wild. So as long as you hold off on releasing any plans until you have already started shipping, you end up in the same situation as without releasing plans.
If you're not selling any physical items, then trying to sell plans in an unreproducible format is about as quixotic as trying to apply DRM to media distribution: if you intended recipient can open the file in order to view the plans, they can copy them.
The idea of crowdfunding the development costs then releasing the plans makes sense, and resembles the model used for some source code releases.

 

[iFreilicht]

I feel like it would make bootlegging a LOT easier, though, and it is the main concern here. If someone measures a manufactured case, they know nothing about the tolerances or small intricate details, your material choice, finishing, all that stuff. The models are exactly that, they allow a 100% perfect reproduction of your design in every single aspect, unless you leave out a few details knowingly. And even then, there's much less effort required than if you had to measure the case.

The idea is also more suited to cases that are made from less different materials and with less complicated manufacturing methods. For renderpockets, it works perfectly. They only consist of laser-cut plexiglass. Perfectly repeatable by pretty much any laser cutter in the world, no bends, no fuss at a very similar cost every time. As soon as you get to sheet metal with punched features or bends, maybe even formed threads, additional parts for fastening or pressed-in hardware, it get's a lot more complicated the more complicated it gets, the less users are willing to make the case themselves.

To me, the idea seems like an awesome concept in theory, but in practise I know the world is too bad of a place for it not to be a very risky move.

 

[Hahutzy]

I'm guessing they went this route because their product is an ikea-hack. They're selling the rack mounts but not the rack. So its not as tangible of an idea to purchase the physical product, per say, because it's not "whole".

Or should I say, they're selling a project, not a product.

In general, like software developement, I'd say you have to commit to one extreme. Either you go full closed source, or you go full open source.

 

[iFreilicht]

Good analogy, works quite well here. Those units were designed to be made with a laser cutter and nothing more, they were designed to be made by the user themselves if buying them directly wasn't feasible for any reasons, buying them fully assembled is merely an additional service they offer. If they didn't commit to that, the concept wouldn't have worked out.

And as with open source software, their product is a bit of a hack, something that works but you might need and can adapt. Closed source is ready to go, plug-and-play, everything in the box. At least when done right.