(Yicai) March 16 -- Chinese 3D printer maker Bambu Lab has reached a settlement with toy company Pop Mart International Group over an intellectual property dispute involving unauthorized 3D printable models, ending a lawsuit that had been scheduled to go to trial in early April.

The dispute centered on alleged copyright infringement involving Pop Mart characters hosted on MakerWorld, Bambu Lab’s 3D model community. The platform previously hosted unauthorized 3D printable models of Pop Mart IP, such as Labubu and Twinkle Twinkle. Users could download the files and print highly similar designer toy figurines using Bambu Lab printers.

Bambu Lab said in a statement published on its official Weibo account today that the two sides have reached a settlement and that all related content has been fully removed from the platform.

Pop Mart had previously filed a lawsuit against Bambu Lab and its affiliated companies over copyright ownership and infringement disputes, with a hearing originally scheduled for April 2, 2026. Yicai learned that the MakerWorld platform had already removed the disputed models after the recent Chinese New Year holiday.

The case underscores the growing importance of IP protection in the rapidly developing 3D printing sector, where user-generated models can be freely shared or sold for printing. The popularity of Pop Mart’s Labubu toys in recent years has also helped drive demand for consumer 3D printers in China, while highlighting the industry’s ongoing compliance challenges.

In addition to the Pop Mart dispute, corporate database Tianyancha shows that animation studio HMCH Anime has also filed a lawsuit against Bambu Lab over alleged infringement of the right of information network dissemination related to the animated film The Legend of Hei. The case is currently in the first-instance civil trial stage.

Founded five years ago, Bambu Lab has become a leading manufacturer of consumer-grade 3D printers in China. Earlier reports indicated the company’s revenue reached between CNY5.5 billion and CNY6 billion (USD760 million to USD830 million) in 2024, with net profit approaching CNY2 billion. The company also said in a January article that its revenue exceeded CNY10 billion (USD1.4 billion) in 2025.

Editor: Emmi Laine