Does the 3D model constitute intellectual property?
In my opinion, it does. As such, it should be contracted to what we deem fair use to be. For example, we may simply supply the data for “use only” and strictly prohibit any changes to that data. This may require the supplier of the data to perform all change orders, which will have ramifications such as response times, turnaround times, etc. Another consideration is whether we will allow a single change under the requirement that the contractor will take liability for the resulting model. All of this should lead us to an attorney for review of our documents. How accurate does the model have to be? That depends on your agreement with the client. I have personally witnessed accuracy requirements in the 3/8″ range. It will often have to match the inspection requirements for the project. That is why I usually refer to these projects being done to “millimeter-level” accuracies. Much of the 3D machine control equipment these days can build very accurate surfaces based on our models and are o
