Duchamp Chess Set: Ready-to-Be-Made

thingiverse

On April 21st, 2014, Scott Kildall and Bryan Cera uploaded STL files of Marcel Duchamp's chess pieces (1918) designed by the artist onto Thingiverse. The project sparked a reaction from the Duchamp Estate, who sent a cease and desist letter to Kildal and Cera, claiming intellectual property infringement. As the pieces were created by Duchamp himself, they are protected under French copyright law, raising questions about jurisdiction in this case - if STL files are downloaded from a US server, is the printer shielded under US copyright law or does the global nature of Thingiverse negate site-specific legal protection? This remix was inspired by two key factors: Firstly, the increasing trend in contemporary art to enforce boundaries around ideas (intellectual property) through legal means. Secondly, the inherent nature of platforms like Thingiverse, which invite idea sharing and remediation. These molds of Duchamp's chess pieces aim to define intellectual property law's limits by occupying the adjacent (negative) space to the legally protected volume of Duchamp's design. They also reflect Thingiverse's collaborative ethos, allowing third-party individuals to cast from the molds as suggested by the title Ready-to-be-Made. Print Settings: Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator 2 Rafts: No Supports: No