That may be true, but what about when bigger players like Apple, Sony, Samsung, or perhaps even an emerging startup join the party? Many a comparison has been

That may be true, but what about when bigger players like Apple, Sony, Samsung, or perhaps even an emerging startup join the party? Many a comparison has been made to the home computer clubs of the 1970's - similarly DIY but produced giant companies like Apple who popularized the home computer. Same goes with AOL in the mid-90s crashing web and bringing the Eternal September. I guess my point is that we are really in the halcyon days of 3d printing. This is an emerging technology. It's exciting, it's about experimentation, and it's a genuinely open-source user environment. But this phase has a shelf-life, and once 3d printing reaches critical mass, the Maker hackers will move onto the next thing of interest (rightly so) and the corporations will swoop in on the huge money making opportunities. It is just the way the world works. Still ... DRM will never work. Whether it be a case of torrents for the Ikea desk, or firmware hacks to re-route your printer from phoning home to the corporation - hackers will find a way.