The suit was filed at the People’s Court of Pudong New Area in Shanghai, with the trial scheduled for April 2nd, 2026.
According toWorld Journal, the case names Bambu Lab, registered in China as Shenzhen Tuozhu Technology Co., Ltd., along with two subsidiaries, Shenzhen Maker World Technology Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Outline Technology Co., Ltd. The complaint centers on several Labubu 3D model files that users had uploaded and shared freely on MakerWorld.
The 3D printer manufacturer did not create or upload any of the infringing files. Pop Mart is nonetheless seeking to hold the platform itself legally responsible for what its users uploaded on the platform, a legal argument that, if it succeeds, could fundamentally shift how 3D printing platforms manage and moderate user content going forward.
Looking at this case, the commercial stakes are significant.Reportedly, Labubu accounted for more than 30% of the toymaker’s total sales revenue in 2025, and Chinese customs authorities seized 1.83 million counterfeit Labubu products that same year.
For its part, MakerWorld is no minor platform either. Launched in 2023 by Bambu Lab, MakerWorld has grown into one of the world’s largest 3D model sharing community by monthly active users, hosting over one million models and serving nearly 10 million monthly active users.
In response to the lawsuit, Bambu Lab moved to pull all Labubu-related files from MakerWorld. The sweep, however, was not clean. An operational error caught a wide range of unrelated files in the removal, including printer modifications, cable clips, paint brush holders, and locksmithing tools.
The 3D printer manufactureracknowledged the mistake publicly, and confirmed that most of the affected models had since been restored. Users whose files remain missing were directed to submit a support ticket.
Bambu Lab is widely expected to invoke the safe harbor principle in its defense, the legal doctrine under which platform operators are shielded from liability if they were unaware of infringing content or acted swiftly to remove it upon notification.
However, it also notes that because Bambu Lab only removed the content after the lawsuit was filed rather than proactively, that defense may face scrutiny, particularly given that Labubu was one of themost commercially visible IPs in China in 2025and MakerWorld operates at a scale of nearly 10 million monthly active users.
The case is currently contained within the Chinese legal system and no equivalent action has been filed against Western platforms, where knockoff Labubu files remain openly available onPrintables,Thangs,Thingiverse,MyMiniFactory, andCults, according totom’s Hardware.
Source: 3D Printing Industry
