Let's back up here for a minute and explain one of the hottest patent debates going on in the 3d-printing industry today: the impact of expired patents.
让我们备份这里一分钟，并解释最热门的专利之一，今天辩论将在3d印刷业：专利到期的影响。
2
In recent months, would-be plaintiffs have been fanning out across retail stores and the Internet searching for expiredpatent Numbers on everything from toothpaste to toilet plungers.
从牙膏直到皮搋子，近几个月里潜在原告一直在各家零售商店和互联网上遍寻标了过期专利号的任何商品。
3
Lawyers for product manufacturers now fear clients are liable for up to $500 for every tube of mascara or box of garbage bags marked with an expiredpatent—an error that turns out to be quite common.