Intellectual Property

[TomJE]

So I sell 3D models through my platform, once people have bought them, are they legally allowed to sell and redistribute the models to a third party for their own personal financial gain? And if not, is the 3D model still technically my intellectual property, or would I have to sell it as a service rather than goods? UK advice wanted

When you say sell on do you mean the design or the physical printed product?

This isn't entirely clear. However, it sounds like you are making models and selling them to people.

Assuming that is the case, if you have any intellectual property at all, it is in the design of the models if you designed them yourself. If your customers design their own models, you don't have any intellectual property at all. If you do own the design, your customers cannot copy the design. However, if they are simply buying models from you then selling them to someone else at a profit, they are free to do so.

Think of a book. If I buy a book, I cannot make copies of the book and sell them. That would be a breach of the author's copyright. But I can sell my copy of the book to someone else at whatever price they are willing to pay. If I make a profit, that's fine. Neither the author nor the publisher can do anything about it.

Just to add, the above applies regardless of how you sell the models. It makes no difference whether you frame it as selling physical models or selling a service making models. Once the model is in your buyer's possession, it is theirs and they can do what they want with it, including selling it to someone else for a profit. The only thing they cannot do is copy your design.