Open CAD, Closed Commerce

Platform companies increasingly publish engineering files (CAD, STLs) to empower modders and signal openness, but attach non‑commercial or attribution terms that preserve commercial leverage and require businesses to negotiate for market rights. This hybrid approach expands user modification while letting platform owners gatekeep who can profit or scale accessories. — It highlights a recurring policy and market tension: openness for community innovation vs. platform control over commercial ecosystems and downstream supply chains.