開放科技可用材料 / 可進編輯台2026-05-18 08:00

SFC 對 Bambu AGPLv3 違規的完整回應

Software Freedom Conservancy 宣布針對 Bambu Lab 3D 印表機的軟體維修權與 AGPLv3 合規問題展開新行動。SFC 表示，在近期出現 AGPLv3 違規消息後，已開始調查 Bambu 裝置上的使用者空間軟體與韌體。雖然調查仍在進行，摘要指出已有兩項具體 AGPLv3 違規被確認。

開放原始碼法規政策

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原始主文

Comprehensive Response to Bambu's AGPLv3 Violations

News

Press Releases

Multi-pronged Approach Will Help Users Quickly while Seeking Optimal Long-Term Solutions

Software Freedom Conservancy ( “SFC”) announces a new

initiative regarding the software right to repair for users and consumers

of 3D printers manufactured by Bambu Lab. After recent news of violations of the Affero General Public License,

version 3 ( “AGPLv3” ), SFC staff began a

comprehensive AGPLv3 compliance investigation of both the userspace

software and firmware on Bambu's devices. While the investigation is

ongoing, two specific AGPLv3 violations have been confirmed.

`libbambu_networking` Violation Confirmed

First, Bambu does not provide the complete,

Corresponding Source Code ( “CCS” ) for their Slicer

software. (The Slicer is used in 3D printing to take a digital design

model (i.e., the STL file) and “slice” that file

into many horizontal 2D layers for transmission to the printer itself.)

Bambu [has

publicly stated for four years](https://github.com/bambulab/BambuStudio/blob/e8c7dc1b84f5e3816238e070e04eeeb67cd92783/README.md?plain=1#L42-L49) that Bambu's slicer (called

“Bambu Studio”) is a modified version of their competitor's

AGPLv3'd slicer (“PrusaSlicer”). (PrusaSlicer — in turn — is a modified version of

“Slic3r” — originally authored by Alessandro Ranellucci.) While

some source code for Bambu Studio can be found on

Bambu's Github organizational

account, [Bambu

(in effect) admits publicly that they have violated the AGPLv3](https://github.com/bambulab/BambuStudio/blame/e8c7dc1b84f5e3816238e070e04eeeb67cd92783/README.md#L51-L52) by combining Bambu Studio with a

proprietary library — which they distribute to the user via an

interactive prompt in the UI .

The specific clauses of AGPLv3 that Bambu has violated are quoted

below 1 :

You may convey a covered work in Object Code form … provided that you

also convey the machine-readable Corresponding Source under the terms of this

License … You must license the entire work, as a whole, under this

License to anyone who comes into possession of a copy. …

The “Source Code” for a work means the preferred form of the

work for making modifications to it. “Object Code” means any

non-source form of a work.

The “Corresponding Source” for a work in Object Code form

means all the Source Code needed to generate, install, and (for an executable

work) run the Object Code and to Modify the work, including scripts to

control those activities. … For example, Corresponding Source includes

interface definition files associated with source files for the work, and the

Source Code for shared libraries and dynamically linked subprograms that the

work is specifically designed to require, such as by intimate data

communication or control flow between those subprograms and other parts of

the work.

— AGPLv3§6¶1, §5(c), §1¶1,4

As such, Bambu's failure to provide

CCS and

Installation Information for the libraries known

as libbambu_networking.so, bambu_networking.dll,

and libbambu_networking.dylib constitutes an egregious and

ongoing violation of AGPLv3.

Additional Violation via Bambu's Aggressive, “Chilling Effect” Recent Actions

Keeping their networking library proprietary is not the only way that

Bambu violated AGPLv3. A software developer and Bambu Lab user (Paweł

Jarczak) released another mechanism to integrate with Bambu Studio's server

side components that did not require replacing or modifying the dynamically linked

libraries. Instead, Paweł made changes to a different AGPLv3'd slicer (Orca Slicer) by

merely examining the (incomplete) source code for Bambu Studio. Those Orca Slicer modifications

allowed users to replace Bambu Studio and instead combine Orca Slicer via intimate data

communication with Bambu Studio's currently-source-unavailable parts that run on

Bambu Lab's servers.

Bambu demanded that Paweł remove the fork of OrcaSlicer with these changes

from Github. [Bambu falsely claims

that](https://blog.bambulab.com/setting-the-record-straight-on-cloud-access-and-community/) their terms of service override the AGPLv3 (along with other specious

claims). Bambu's scare tactics against Paweł constitute a violation of

AGPLv3§10¶3 — which states the matter quite simply: You may not

impose any further restrictions on the exercise of the rights granted or

affirmed under this License .

Paweł [removed the Orca Slicer fork

(under protest)](https://github.com/jarczakpawel/OrcaSlicer-bambulab/commit/25bbf7fd65963b6b787b36025cf5f8f993a28d43#diff-b335630551682c19a781afebcf4d07bf978fb1f8ac04c6bf87428ed5106870f5R3-R7). This is an understandable response;

anyone would be concerned when a powerful company sends aggressive

emails.

SFC's Comprehensive Approach to Address These Violations

Bambu has behaved badly for years and made multiple,

provably false public statements regarding the AGPLv3 and its

requirements. The recent aggressive behavior toward

Paweł Jarczak was a last straw for us: we have decided to launch a

multi-pronged effort that will assist consumers and users in the

short-term, and also work toward a long-term strategy to improve

the software right to repair for all 3D printer consumers.

SFC launches today our baltobu project. This

project contains repositories as follows:

**[baltobu's reverse-networking

repository hosts a project to

reverse-engineer](https://f.sfconservancy.org/baltobu/reverse-networking) libbambu_networking.so , bambu_networking.dll ,

and libbambu_networking.dylib**.

We also have encouraged volunteers in our Use the Source community to participate 2, 3 in this process.

As we

have [previously

explained: Object Code combined with AGPLv3'd software must also be

licensed under AGPLv3](https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2026/may/17/incomplete-corresponding-source-code-copyleft-agpl/#object-code-also-copylefted)! As such, these Object Code libraries are governed by

the AGPLv3. SFC and our volunteers are within our rights to

reverse-engineer these libraries for the purpose of creating our own Source

Code that can function as a drop-in replacement in Bambu Studio.

If Bambu Studio were not known to be a strident long-time AGPLv3

violator, we would not begin with this approach, but we

believe the reverse-engineering effort will yield results more quickly

than legal action possibly can.

**[baltobu's orca-slicer-for-bambu

repository](https://f.sfconservancy.org/baltobu/orca-slicer-for-bambu) will build on Paweł's work to become the canonical repository for

maintaining and improving the Orca Slicer fork that Paweł originally

published.**

SFC does not fear Bambu's aggression. We welcome volunteers to join

us in maintaining an OrcaStudio fork that works with Bambu's 3D

printers. Volunteer contributors working on SFC's behalf have [some

amount of personal liability protection](https://sfconservancy.org/projects/services/#some-liability-protection), and SFC does our best to

insert ourselves should Bambu make legal threats to any of our volunteers.

**[baltobu's viscose

repository](https://f.sfconservancy.org/baltobu/viscose) seeks to maintain an active fork of Bambu Studio itself.**

This project will seek to take the best of any discoveries from the

two aforementioned initiatives and work toward a replacement for Bambu

Studio that works better for consumers who own Bambu 3D printers.

**SFC will continue as a watchdog for any further Bambu Lab

violations**.

Our staff spent the last week investigating the violations discussed

here, but we will not stop there! We normally do not

actively look for violations. However, in this case, SFC will

watch Bambu Lab closely and continue to investigate

— regularly looking for any potential violations of copyleft licenses.

**SFC will launch a standing committee to discuss software

freedom and rights in the 3D printer community**.

Details on this committee will be forthcoming in June 2026. Generally

speaking, this committee will bring together 3D printer manufacturers,

users, consumers, copyleft licensing experts, and software freedom

activists to meet monthly to communicate about any new issues or concerns

that arise regarding the software right to repair for 3D printers and

accompanying software, and to make action plans to address those

issues.

Volunteer Can Help Now!

The SFC welcomes volunteers to join these efforts immediately; we will

need your help! We specifically welcome as our first volunteer Paweł

Jarczak himself! Paweł's work has been instrumental in investigating Bambu's

various AGPLv3 violations. Paweł has agreed to collaborate with SFC on the

efforts we begin today.

If you would also like to help with any of the technical work going

on in our baltobu project, please follow this link for

information on how to request an account

on our Forgejo instance. If

you're interested in helping on any of the other initiatives

above, please email us at.

Donate Now to Support Our Right-to-Repair Efforts

We also launch today a fundraiser with a target goal of US$250,007!

This fundraiser will last for two months. All newly initiated Sustainer contributions and general donations to SFC will be earmarked for our software right to repair efforts. If we reach our ambitious fundraising goal, we'll

immediately begin a search to hire additional staff to head

the long-term efforts described herein — including coordination of volunteer

contributors, strategic planning to improve the software right to repair for 3D printers, and planning whatever next steps are needed if our strategies outlined herein are unsuccessful in gaining AGPLv3 compliance by Bambu Lab. If we don't reach the goal, we will route the funds to (a) fund existing staff's time to focus on this project and (b) work on related software right to repair efforts.

Thanks to All Who Have Already Helped on this Matter

We are grateful for efforts of everyone who who have helped so much to get this started! In particular:

Thanks so much to Paweł Jarczak who drew our attention to Bambu Lab's ongoing AGPLv3 violations! Paweł did what all software developers are allowed to do under AGPLv3: change the source code to do something interesting! Paweł did not deserve Bambu Lab's bad treatment, and we look forward to collaborating with Paweł.

We also thank b3nsn0w

— who has done substantial additional research about the

situation with Bambu Lab, and [has been a

voice for the AGPLv3](https://github.com/bambulab/BambuStudio/issues/6037) for more than a year regarding the

dynamically linked libraries violation.

Thanks also to FULU for taking a stand and drawing attention to this issue.

Footnote

The order of appearance of clauses in AGPLv3's text have been rearranged

here for readability, and all defined terms have been herein

capitalized for emphasis.

Software Freedom Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity.

This page and its contents are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.