Pop Mart has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Shenzhen-based 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Lab in the People's Court of Pudong New Area, Shanghai.

Pop Mart has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Shenzhen-based 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Lab in the People's Court of Pudong New Area, Shanghai. The litigation centers on the MakerWorld platform, where users uploaded thousands of unauthorized 3D-printable files of the Labubu character, a core IP asset that generated over 30 percent of Pop Mart's 2025 revenue. Pop Mart alleges that Bambu Lab failed to adequately police its platform, enabling the mass distribution of digital files that facilitate the production of low-cost replicas on consumer FDM/FFF hardware.

This case highlights a critical tension between the democratization of additive manufacturing and the protection of intellectual property in the consumer goods sector. As desktop FDM/FFF printers become more accessible and capable of high-fidelity output, companies relying on scarcity-based business models face significant challenges from decentralized digital piracy. Unlike industrial-grade systems that operate within closed-loop supply chains, the open nature of consumer-facing model repositories like MakerWorld creates a new vector for IP leakage that traditional copyright enforcement mechanisms are currently ill-equipped to handle.

The outcome of this legal battle will likely establish a precedent for platform liability regarding user-generated content in the 3D printing ecosystem. If the court rules in favor of Pop Mart, it may force hardware manufacturers to implement stricter automated content moderation or digital rights management protocols for shared design files. Industry stakeholders should monitor this case closely as it could shift the responsibility of IP protection from individual creators to the digital infrastructure providers that facilitate the manufacturing process.