“Printcrime” is a 2006 science fiction short story by Cory Doctorow. It is about man who goes to prison for illegal printing.
Print Your Own Stuff
I saw my first 3D printer a few years ago, and I was quite impressed with what it could do. Here is a thought provoking little story about how future “intellectual property police” might react to people who print without permission.
Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell
Lanie’s father’s printer was smashed by cops when she was 8 – and her dad has been in prison ever since. But now that he is about to be released Lanie wonders if he learned anything while there.
Interesting Tidbits About This Story:
- Page Count: 1
- Word Count: 732
- Did you know that Cory Doctorow kind of looks like Drew Carey? Yep. Check out the picture on his bio page.
Where You Can Find Printcrime:
- This story was originally published in the January 2006 issue of Nature.
- You can read “Printcrime” online for free, or download it in a variety of formats, at Cory Doctorow’s web site.
- If you would like to read this story in a real book, you can find it in Doctorow’s short story collection Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present
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Two classics on the subject, both online: Murray Leinster’s “The Duplicators” (download), & Ralph Williams’ “Business as Usual, During Alterations” (download).
No 3D printing though – just a near-magical device to duplicate physical stuff. Both look at implications of such a technology.
Thanks Tinkoo, those both look like great stories that I will have to check out.