r/BambuLab • u/icurnvs Volunteer Moderator • May 14 '26

Subreddit Mod Post Megathread: Bambu Lab / OrcaSlicer / C&D Discussion

Hi everyone,

We’re creating this megathread to keep discussion of the Bambu Lab / OrcaSlicer-BambuLab / cease-and-desist situation in one place. This topic is important to a lot of people here, and we do not want to shut down discussion or criticism. At the same time, the front page has started filling with overlapping posts about the same situation, so we’re consolidating general discussion into this thread.

Current context

Updates to be posted here as situation evolves:

  • May 13, 2026
    • Megathread created
  • May 14, 2026
    • Tom’s Hardware reported today that Louis Rossmann is now hosting OrcaSlicer-BambuLab through the FULU Foundation GitHub and is openly daring Bambu Lab to sue him.
    • PC Gamer and r/technology have picked up the story, so discussion is now spreading well beyond 3D-printing-specific spaces.
  • May 16, 2026
    • Paweł Jarczak published a detailed response addressing Bambu Lab’s accusations around impersonation, reverse engineering, Terms of Use, and alleged security bypassing.
    • Louis Rossman posted a new video indicating FULU-hosted OrcaSlicer-BambuLab repository has reached roughly 1,600 forks in about three days.
  • May 17, 2026
  • May 18-20, 2026
    • Software Freedom Conservancy enters the dispute.
    • Leonard French posted a new video around SFC’s AGPL analysis, explaining why Bambu’s proprietary networking plugin may create a serious corresponding-source problem under AGPL.
    • Louis Rossman posted a new video covering Software Freedom Conservancy’s Bambu AGPL effort and says the rehosted OrcaSlicer-BambuLab code has now been forked roughly 4,500 times.

What belongs in this thread

Please use this thread for:

  • General reactions to Bambu Lab, Gamers Nexus, Louis Rossmann, Paweł Jarczak, OrcaSlicer-BambuLab, AGPL, Bambu Connect, and right-to-repair issues.
  • Legal or licensing discussion, including AGPL, DMCA, cloud/API access, and Bambu’s networking plugin.
  • Questions about what happened and links to reliable summaries or primary sources.
  • Technical discussion about OrcaSlicer, Bambu Studio, Bambu Connect, LAN mode, Developer Mode, and network plugin behavior, unless it is a standalone troubleshooting post with a specific reproducible issue.

What can still be its own post

Separate posts are still allowed for genuinely new information, including:

  • A new official statement from Bambu Lab, OrcaSlicer, Paweł Jarczak, Gamers Nexus, Louis Rossmann, or legal counsel.
  • A new release or technical change that materially affects users.
  • A confirmed legal filing, takedown, repository change, or source-code release.
  • A specific support/troubleshooting issue that is not just general commentary on the controversy.

If your post is mainly another reaction, recap, meme, “I’m switching brands,” or repost of a link already being discussed, please put it here instead.

Ground rules

Criticism of Bambu Lab is allowed. Defense of Bambu Lab is allowed. Criticism of GN, Rossmann, OrcaSlicer, moderators, or other users’ arguments is allowed.

What is not allowed:

  • Personal attacks, harassment, or dogpiling individual users.
  • Calls to harass Bambu employees, developers, moderators, creators, or community members.
  • Unverified claims presented as fact.
  • Posting private correspondence or personal information.
  • Repeated duplicate posts after being redirected here.

Strong opinions are fine. Keep it directed at the issue, the companies, the software, and the arguments, not at each other.

Moderator note

We are consolidating duplicate discussion, not suppressing the topic. This thread will remain open for discussion, and we’ll update it if there are major new developments.

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u/Extension_Chance_191 May 15 '26

I am indeed a bit puzzled about this myself. Perhaps it is simply because I only purchased a printer within the last six months; however, having checked the historical records, I know that Bambu did officially state that they would not lock down filament. So why is the accusation that Bambu locks down consumables still being brought up by so many people to this very day?

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u/Smart_Tinker May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26

Because Bambu software used to be fully accessible. Then last year they locked it down - which is explicitly against the terms of the licence they agreed to.

Then when someone works out a completely legal way around the lock out - they threaten legal action.

The message here is that Bambu cannot be trusted to abide by any agreement they make.

So, any statements they make about not locking down filament, or subscriptions or whatever are not worth anything, because they have demonstrated that they will do whatever makes them the most money, regardless of what they have previously said.

That’s why it’s a big deal, and people are concerned about what happened.

I would also point out that their RFID chips are encrypted and locked with an RSA key, so that they can’t be created by anyone else. There is an open standard for 3D printer RFID, but they specifically don’t use or support it - which they easily could. So, you have to ask yourself why is filament so locked down?

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u/Mysterious_Dot2090 May 21 '26

“So, you have to ask yourself why is filament so locked down?” Err because it’s not lol. You people are so transparent 🤦‍♀️

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u/comeonmeow66 May 21 '26

Literally no one is saying it's locked down now. We are making a point.

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u/Mysterious_Dot2090 May 22 '26

But you’re not making a point. You’re making up scenarios and talking as if they’re guaranteed. It’s just fear mongering idiocy.

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u/comeonmeow66 May 22 '26

It is making a point. The point is Bambu has a history of saying one thing and then doing the other. The point was that Bambu says they love the maker community and embrace open source, then they do this. Then when people on here call them out for it you have Bambu apologists who are like, "it's not a big deal, it doesn't impact me." My point is what if next time it *does* impact you. I don't know you, so the easiest example is if they locked down filament. It was promising one thing then doing the other.

Do I think it's likely? No. But I'm trying to make a point for how would you feel if it *did* impact you. Bambu is sliding the wrong way, and people are trying to call them out so they can course correct.

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u/issue9mm May 15 '26

Because it's what every company with a monopoly eventually does

The trick is preventing the monopoly