Pop Mart Sues 3D‑Printer Maker Bambu Lab Over Labubu Copies

Toy firm accuses maker of enabling piracy

Pop Mart (泡泡玛特) has filed a lawsuit against 3D‑printer maker Bambu Lab (班布实验室), accusing the company of facilitating intellectual‑property infringement after users widely shared printable templates for Pop Mart’s popular Labubu character on Bambu Lab’s model‑sharing platform, MakerWorld. It has been reported that the complaint centers on digital files that allow home 3D printers to produce near‑replicas of the vinyl collectible, bypassing Pop Mart’s authorized manufacturing and distribution channels.

A conflict at the intersection of fandom and fabrication

Labubu is one of Pop Mart’s best‑known designer toy lines and a core part of the company’s licensing and retail business. 3D printing makes it trivial for hobbyists to reproduce small runs of such toys at low cost. Pop Mart reportedly argues that Bambu Lab, by hosting and facilitating access to the models, has crossed the line from neutral platform to a distributor of infringing material. Bambu Lab has not publicly detailed its defense; platform operators often claim safe‑harbor protections for user‑generated content, but courts are increasingly confronting when and how those shields apply in China.

What this case could signal

The dispute highlights broader tensions in China’s fast‑evolving IP landscape: rights holders are pushing harder to protect brands and designs even as consumer tools enable decentralized copying. How Chinese courts balance platform responsibility, user creativity, and rights‑holder claims will be closely watched by domestic and foreign companies alike. Reportedly, the outcome may influence how maker communities, toy collectors, and hardware firms navigate intellectual property in an era when a 3D model file can travel worldwide in seconds. What is permissible hobbyist activity — and what counts as commercial piracy? That question is now headed to court.