The 3D printed "Labu Labu Freedom" is迎来 a copyright cleanup.

“Just finished printing a head, and the model was gone.”

Recently, a player complained on social media that their 3D printer was forced to stop working, leaving only a newly formed LABUBU (Labu Bu) head on the build plate.

As the model links collectively failed, this “zero-cost limited-edition collectible toy” plan could only be abandoned.

The cause of this nationwide model “supply cut” was a lawsuit.

Recently, Pop Mart sued Zhu Zhu Technology, a 3D printing unicorn, in court, citing copyright ownership and infringement disputes.

The focal point is Zhu Zhu Technology’s MakerWorld, the world’s leading 3D model community by monthly active users.

Previously, the platform was filled with numerous user-uploaded, unauthorized “LABUBU” 3D printing models, which infringed on Pop Mart’s IP rights.

Currently, MakerWorld has swiftly taken down all related IP models.

In fact, this is a compliance issue faced by the entire industry.

According to AllWeather Tech research, besides Zhu Zhu Technology, other 3D printing companies like Chuangxiang 3D’s Chuangxiang Cloud community and laser engraving brand xTool’s community Atomm also see users extensively sharing models of well-known IPs.

Pop Mart’s lawsuit may just be the beginning. In the future, more copyright holders and hardware companies involved in infringement, along with their user-generated content (UGC) communities, could face legal action, which is now under close watch.

Deterring the wrongdoers?

The trigger for this lawsuit was Zhu Zhu Technology’s MakerWorld community being flooded with unauthorized “LABUBU” and other 3D printed models, which angered Pop Mart.

Currently, MakerWorld has fully removed Pop Mart’s related IP 3D models.

Many industry insiders believe Zhu Zhu Technology may have infringed Pop Mart’s “LABUBU” copyright through reproduction, distribution, and online communication rights.

“Commercially, without Pop Mart’s authorization, Zhu Zhu cannot reproduce, distribute, or spread the LABUBU image online,” said Guo Song, lawyer at Taihe Tai Law Firm. “As the manufacturer and platform provider of 3D printers, Zhu Zhu knew or should have known that uploading, publishing, and sharing these models on MakerWorld would constitute infringement of Pop Mart’s rights.”

In fact, Zhu Zhu Technology had already recognized the IP risk and included “exemption clauses.”

For example, Zhu Zhu emphasizes in MakerWorld’s user agreement that if user content infringes third-party IP rights, they have the right to remove such content and require users to be responsible for what they upload.

“By uploading user content, users agree to indemnify MakerWorld against any claims or damages arising from IP infringement,” Zhu Zhu stated.

However, the effectiveness of this exemption clause remains questionable.

“A distinction needs to be made whether this exemption clause was part of the user agreement before infringement occurred, or if it was updated after the infringement. If before, it might limit some liability; if after, its validity is limited,” said a Shenzhen intellectual property lawyer.

Another IP lawyer from Southern China pointed out: “Most platforms have such IP clauses, but for user-uploaded models, platforms have a duty of care. If they ‘know or should know’ about infringement, they may bear certain responsibilities.”

Many legal experts believe Pop Mart’s lawsuit against Zhu Zhu may be a “shot across the bow.”

A Beijing IP lawyer told AllWeather Tech that in commercial litigation, the cost-benefit ratio matters. Suing massive end-user communities involves high evidence collection costs and minimal damages awarded. Directly suing device manufacturers with large infringement communities not only significantly increases the claim base but also more effectively disrupts the infringement chain.

MakerWorld indeed holds an important position in the 3D printing industry. Reports show that by October 2025, the community’s monthly active users approached ten million, with over a million models, making it the world’s largest 3D model community by active users.

With such a massive user base, any unauthorized IP model can be downloaded and printed thousands of times in a very short period. For Pop Mart, this is a direct “bloodletting” of IP monetization.

As Pop Mart sues Zhu Zhu Technology, industry players may reassess the copyright risks behind 3D printing.

IP’s Hidden Reef

In fact, infringement is not an isolated flaw of Zhu Zhu alone but a common issue across major 3D printing hardware companies’ UGC communities.

Although MakerWorld has urgently removed models like “LABUBU,” popular Disney IPs like Mickey Mouse and Judy from “Zootopia” are still easily searchable on the platform.

Similar incidents also occurred with Chuangxiang 3D. Its Chuangxiang Cloud community still prominently displays Pop Mart’s “Star People” models.

Moreover, in xTool’s community Atomm, users are sharing printing files of Nintendo’s classic IP Pikachu, Judy and Nick from “Zootopia,” among others.

Behind these companies testing the boundaries of copyright law is their effort to develop a “hardware + ecosystem” business model.

In recent years, both 3D printing and laser engraving have been shedding their “hardcore geek” image and transforming into consumer products.

To lower the entry barrier, boost machine sales, and increase consumables repurchase rates, building model communities and offering vast free designs have become common strategies.

Under this logic, popular anime and collectible IPs with large fanbases naturally serve as “free bait” for user acquisition and engagement.

Some platforms, while enjoying the daily active users and device activation from infringing models, maintain a somewhat lax review process for infringing content.

But as Zhu Zhu and other 3D printing companies grow into unicorns with over ten million monthly active users, this large-scale “free substitutes” approach begins to substantially eat into the original rights holders’ commercial interests.

This may also pose more compliance challenges for Chuangxiang 3D and xTool, which are rushing toward IPO.

AllWeather Tech notes that in the IPO prospectuses of these two companies, the risks related to user-shared unauthorized IP are not explicitly addressed.

When a 3D printer costing only a few thousand yuan can easily produce a LABUBU, a Star Person, or Minnie Mouse without resistance, this seemingly zero-cost “copycat” essentially turns the core assets of rights holders into free chips for hardware vendors to sell more machines.

As IP giants like Pop Mart begin scrutinizing these once-hidden corners with a magnifying glass, the window for related manufacturers to “jump on the bandwagon first and buy the ticket later” is closing.

Abandoning the shortcut of reckless growth and paying real licensing fees for compliance will be a necessary tuition fee for this billion-dollar track to truly mature.

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