Ideas travel. Credit should travel with them.
Our vision is simple to state: let designs move through a network so that physical things can be made closer to the people who need them. Ideas travel. Opportunity stays local.
But a design is not raw material. It is the result of skill, time and judgement — the hours spent getting a hinge to print without support, a wall thick enough to survive daily use, a shape that looks right from every angle. A network that moves designs freely while forgetting who made them would not be worth building.
That is why respect for creators is one of the values we stand for, and why we want creators involved before the rules are settled, not after.
A purchase is not permission
The starting principle is plain. Creators retain their rights. Paying for a model, or being able to open a file, does not transfer copyright and is not permission to reproduce that design commercially.
In the network we are designing, production depends on appropriate authorisation. A local maker should only turn a design into a physical object for a customer when the rights to do so are clear. Where they are not clear, the right answer is not to print.
Separate rights for separate uses
Different uses of a design carry different value and different risk, so we intend to treat them as separate permissions rather than one all-or-nothing licence:
- Download — whether a file may be obtained at all, and by whom.
- Display — whether images and previews of a model may be shown.
- Derivatives — whether others may adapt, remix or modify the design.
- Physical printing — whether the design may be made into real objects, and under what terms.
Separating these rights lets a creator, for example, allow a design to be previewed widely while keeping tight control over who may print it. It also means any change to a model can be treated as a new version, so that what is authorised stays tied to what was actually approved.
Counted by the piece, not the download
Physical printing permission is intended to be counted per successful physical piece — one finished object that matches the intended design — rather than per file download.
This matters. A download can be copied endlessly; a finished object is what a customer actually receives. Counting at the point of successful making ties a creator’s permission to real objects in the world, and avoids a failed attempt being treated as if it were a finished item.
A design is not raw material. It is someone’s work — and it should be treated that way at every step from file to doorstep.
Private by default
We plan for models to be private by default. Uploading a design should not quietly make it available to others. Sharing is intended to require a separate, deliberate authorisation from the person entitled to give it.
Where a model is published under an open licence, its attribution and conditions should be kept and respected. Open does not mean anonymous, and it does not mean the conditions stop applying once a file changes hands. We will not describe anything as officially licensed unless the rights chain behind it has been verified.
When there is a disagreement
Disputes over designs will happen in any open system. We are planning a clear process so they can be handled fairly rather than by whoever shouts loudest:
- Complaint — a rights-holder can report a model they believe infringes their work.
- Counter-notice — the person who shared the model can respond and explain their position.
- Review — the matter is assessed before a final decision is made.
Creators also have responsibilities in this picture: declaring the scope of what they license, and responding to infringement and version questions. Clear, fair responsibilities work in every direction.
Why local making can reward creators
Today, a good design often reaches people in one of two ways: as a mass-produced object shipped from far away, or as a free file that someone prints without the creator ever knowing. Neither route reliably rewards the person who did the creative work.
Local making suggests a third route. A customer chooses a design; a nearby merchant, acting as a service node, makes it with care; the creator’s permission is recorded for each successful piece. Read more about the merchant role and the planned order journey.
Because objects are intended to be made on demand, a design can reach people without warehouses of unsold stock. And because every piece is meant to pass through an authorised maker, there is a natural point at which a creator’s rights can be checked and honoured. We see this as a potential, not a guarantee — but it is a potential worth building towards together.
Who we would like to hear from
- Independent designers who create printable products, parts, tools or decorative objects.
- Studios and rights-holders interested in authorised, on-demand physical production.
- Creators who publish under open licences and care how attribution is kept.
- Anyone with practical experience of licensing, takedowns or protecting design work.
Where we are today
We want to be honest about what is ready. Our network is in development. The rights model described here — separate permissions, per-piece printing authorisation, private-by-default models and the complaint, counter-notice and review process — is our planned approach, not a live service.
There is no licensing marketplace in operation yet, we make no promise of technical copy protection, and we do not claim any existing authorisation or partnership with brands or rights-holders. Platform work is being developed through TALODI.network (opens in a new tab), our separate platform initiative.
What we can offer now is a seat at the table while these rules are still being written. If you apply as a creator or design partner, your experience can help decide how creators are treated from the very first order.
