New Fab Charter

As of August 14, 2012 Neil Gershenfeld has single-handedly changed the Fab Charter (or rather: proposed a new wording for discussion) on the cba site. Alternative (new) wording is given below for comparison and debate ... please use the Talk:Fab Charter talk page!

Mission: fab labs are a global network of local labs, enabling invention by providing access for individuals to tools for digital fabrication.

NEW: What is a fab lab? Fab labs are a global network of local labs, enabling invention by providing access to tools for digital fabrication

Access: you can use the fab lab to make almost anything (that doesn't hurt anyone); you must learn to do it yourself, and you must share use of the lab with other uses and users

NEW: What's in a fab lab? Fab labs share an evolving inventory of core capabilities to make (almost) anything, allowing people and projects to be shared

Education: training in the fab lab is based on doing projects and learning from peers; you're expected to contribute to documentation and instruction 

NEW: What does the fab lab network provide? Operational, educational, technical, financial, and logistical assistance beyond what's available within one lab

NEW: Who can use a fab lab? Fab labs are available as a community resource, offering open access for individuals as well as scheduled access for programs

Responsibility: you're responsible for:

NEW: What are a fab lab user's responsibilities?

*safety: knowing how to work without hurting people or machines


 * NEW: safety: knowing how to work without hurting people or machines

*cleaning up: leaving the lab cleaner than you found it


 * NEW: operations: assisting with maintaining the lab

*operations: assisting with maintaining, repairing, and reporting on tools, supplies, and incidents


 * NEW: knowledge: contributing to documentation and instruction

Secrecy: designs and processes developed in fab labs must remain available for individual use although intellectual property can be protected however you choose

NEW: Who owns fab lab inventions? Designs and processes developed in fab labs can be protected and sold however an inventor chooses, but should remain available for individuals to use and learn from

Business: commercial activities can be incubated in fab labs but they must not conflict with open access, they should grow beyond rather than within the lab, and they are expected to benefit the inventors, labs, and networks that contribute to their success.

NEW: How can businesses use a fab lab? Commercial activities can be prototyped and incubated in a fab lab, but they must not conflict with other uses, they should grow beyond rather than within the lab, and they are expected to benefit the inventors, labs, and networks that contribute to their success

drafted: August 30, 2007 August 14, 2012