Creation and copyright law: The case of 3D printing The
Australian Law Reform Commission is conducting an inquiry into
copyright law and the digital economy in 2012 and 2013. The
President, Rosalind Croucher, stated: “While the Copyright Act
has been amended on occasion over the past 12 years to account
for digital developments, these changes occurred before the
digital economy took off. The Australian Law Reform Commission
will need to find reforms that are responsive to this new
environment, and to future scenarios that are still in the realm
of the imagination. It is a complex and important area of law
and we are looking forward to some robust debate and discussion
during the course of this very important Inquiry.” In August
2012, the Commission published its issues paper, Copyright and
the Digital Economy. The Commission has posed the question:
“Should the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) be amended to include a
broad, flexible exception?” Over the ages, copyright law has
been confronted by the emergence of a ran