Teknozip – A developer’s attempt to restore a popular feature in OrcaSlicer, a 3D printing software, has been met with legal threats from Bambu Lab, the printer manufacturer. The dispute centres around the direct cloud printing feature, which allowed users to send print jobs directly from OrcaSlicer to their Bambu Lab printers.
In early 2025, Bambu Lab removed this functionality, pushing users to route their prints through its dedicated application, Bambu Connect. This decision forced users to choose between updating their printer’s firmware and losing the direct printing feature, or sticking with the older firmware and missing out on future updates.
Developer Paweł Jarczak took it upon himself to create a workaround, developing a fork of OrcaSlicer called OrcaSlicer-bambulab. This project successfully restored the direct cloud printing capability. However, shortly after its release, Bambu Lab issued a cease-and-desist letter, threatening legal action, leading to the removal of all OrcaSlicer-bambulab releases.
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Jarczak explained the situation on the OrcaSlicer-bambulab GitHub page. He stated that after several successful releases, Bambu Lab contacted him, accusing him of "reverse engineering" and threatening legal action.
According to Jarczak, he requested further clarification from Bambu Lab but received "further broad accusations, including repeated references to ‘reverse engineering’." Despite believing he had done nothing wrong, Jarczak voluntarily removed the application.
Jarczak argues that his work does not redistribute proprietary code but builds upon the available Bambu Studio source code. He points out that Bambu Studio uses the AGPL-3.0 license, and the plugin required for cloud printing is "an optional component based on non-free libraries."
The incident has sparked outrage among users, with some comparing Bambu Lab to Nintendo, known for its aggressive protection of its intellectual property. Bambu Lab has yet to release its own statement regarding the issue. We have reached out to them for comment and will update this article accordingly.
Here’s a summary of the key events:
| Event | Description |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | Bambu Lab removes direct cloud printing from OrcaSlicer. |
| Developer Response | Paweł Jarczak creates OrcaSlicer-bambulab to restore the feature. |
| Legal Threat | Bambu Lab threatens legal action, accusing Jarczak of reverse engineering. |
| App Removal | Jarczak voluntarily removes OrcaSlicer-bambulab. |
| Community Reaction | Users express dissatisfaction with Bambu Lab’s actions. |