Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

noctua.at

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 114 posts

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#91

Post by adolph »

jijijijij wrote: post #34
userbinator wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless they still have an unexpired patent on the design, it's completely legal to clone. Physical objects simply do not have the same type of copyright protection, and there is considerable precedent in making compatible components --- the most notable example being the automotive aftermarket.

I believe the restriction on personal replication of patented designs is a US thing (only?). At least in Germany, you are legally allowed to make patented things for yourself or science to some capacity. The whole point of a patent is encouraging progress through disclosure of knowledge. The US restriction is quite mad, if you think about it. Freedom my ass.

> At least in Germany, you are legally allowed to make patented things for yourself or science to some capacity.

Yeah, it has always amazed me that Ruf could market their own versions of the 911 without there being a design patent legal problem.

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#92

Post by nothrabannosir »

Nevermark wrote: post #77
cheschire wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the joke blew right past you.

> in addition to fan-related content only. > you're much better off browsing r/fanfiction.

> blew right past you.

This thread is a train wreck

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#93

Post by echoangle »

dgellow wrote: post #69
egeozcan wrote: post #3

> To protect our intellectual property, certain features – such as fan impeller geometries – have been slightly modified while remaining visually very close to the actual product. Noob question: If someone wants to copy their design with no respect to their intellectual property, can't they just 3D scan?

You really don’t need to 3d scan, I’m not a cad expert and it took me just a few evenings to replicate pretty much the blade profile of my Noctua fans based on photos

And how do you now how accurate that is? If you did it based on photos, I seriously doubt that the model is accurate to millimeters at every point of the surface.

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#94

Post by Aurornis »

jijijijij wrote: post #34
userbinator wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless they still have an unexpired patent on the design, it's completely legal to clone. Physical objects simply do not have the same type of copyright protection, and there is considerable precedent in making compatible components --- the most notable example being the automotive aftermarket.

I believe the restriction on personal replication of patented designs is a US thing (only?). At least in Germany, you are legally allowed to make patented things for yourself or science to some capacity. The whole point of a patent is encouraging progress through disclosure of knowledge. The US restriction is quite mad, if you think about it. Freedom my ass.

The legalese about not making a patented item for personal use is basically a technicality. From what I recall I think it might be limited more to process than physical devices, too.

No individuals gets prosecuted for it. The companies would spend more on lawyers than they could possibly collect.

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#95

Post by cjbgkagh »

atonse wrote: post #85
zozbot234 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm disappointed that this is on YT, shouldn't it be on OnlyFans?

Since this has turned into a "giggle about fans" thread, one of my favorite company names is Big Ass Fans [1]. They make really large fans for warehouses, etc. And their logo is a donkey. 1: https://bigassfans.com/company/about-us/

It’s not just a donkey, it’s a donkeys ass.

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#96

Post by Aurornis »

fecal_henge wrote: post #6
egeozcan wrote: post #3

> To protect our intellectual property, certain features – such as fan impeller geometries – have been slightly modified while remaining visually very close to the actual product. Noob question: If someone wants to copy their design with no respect to their intellectual property, can't they just 3D scan?

I would think so, or by taking cross sections. Its hard to believe they have some miraculous geometry that needs guarding anyway. Maybe they are trying to dissuade people who might try to 3d print an impeller. 3d models for industrial fan manufacturers (Sanyo,NMB) are widely available.

> Its hard to believe they have some miraculous geometry that needs guarding anyway.

They do. Their products are an example of a company refining a concept to an extreme degree to squeeze out as much performance as possible.

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#97

Post by richwater »

emsign wrote: post #59

Meanwhile 3D printing is being banned in US states supposedly to prevent people from creating gun parts, because just buying a gun in the US isn't doable for a criminal. But in reality it's because ownership of production and machines is about to get banned for the lower classes.

recent scotus decision will make that much harder (not that lawmakers respect judicial decisions. but most firearm bills are overturned anyway).

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#98

Post by Marsymars »

atonse wrote: post #85
zozbot234 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm disappointed that this is on YT, shouldn't it be on OnlyFans?

Since this has turned into a "giggle about fans" thread, one of my favorite company names is Big Ass Fans [1]. They make really large fans for warehouses, etc. And their logo is a donkey. 1: https://bigassfans.com/company/about-us/

I have split feelings on Big Ass Fans.

I got three of their house fans from Costco a few years ago. Great fans - low power draw, good looks, includes a nice light, good noise profile, etc.

The fans didn't include wall panels, which I wanted rather than only remotes. No problem, I figured I'll order 3 of them from their site. However, there's an obvious bug in the shipping calculator, where the cost to ship three little wall boxes came out to $40+$40+$40 = $120. (And where the shipping page called this a "flat rate".) If I wanted to order 50 wall boxes, the shipping would be $2,000! The shipping cost was completely incongruent with other items in their shop - e.g. I could order 100 branded mugs for a flat shipping charge of $40. (And this is on top of the wall controllers that where already $123 each for some pretty simple electronics.)

I had probably a dozen support interactions over a couple weeks over both phone and email trying to get Big Ass Fans to fix their broken website and/or just put the wall controllers in a $30 flat-rate shipping box for me before we finally settled on a $55 shipping charge where I still felt like I was getting ripped off.

Re: Noctua releases official 3D CAD models for its cooling fans

#100

Post by m3kw9 »

egeozcan wrote: post #3

> To protect our intellectual property, certain features – such as fan impeller geometries – have been slightly modified while remaining visually very close to the actual product. Noob question: If someone wants to copy their design with no respect to their intellectual property, can't they just 3D scan?

so it's pretty useless if they just say it's their design, but not really.
Post reply on HN