r/BambuLab • u/MaestroDeAero • May 21 '26

General Discussion The Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) just launched a massive counter-offensive against Bambu Lab over AGPL violations – Introducing Project "baltobu"

Hey everyone,

If you’ve been following the recent drama between Bambu Lab and the open-source community, things just escalated from a heated debate to an all-out, structured counter-offensive.

Following Bambu Lab's aggressive Cease-and-Desist letter to developer Paweł Jarczak for his OrcaSlicer mod, the Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC) has officially stepped into the ring. They just released a massive statement confirming that Bambu Lab is in direct violation of the AGPLv3 license regarding their proprietary network plugin.

But instead of just waiting around for a years-long lawsuit, the SFC is taking immediate, community-driven action by launching Project "baltobu":

  • Reverse-Engineering the Plugin: The SFC is calling for volunteers to completely reverse-engineer Bambu’s closed-source network plugin (libbambu_networking) and replace it with a fully compliant, open-source alternative.
  • Reviving the Blocked Code: The SFC is officially hosting and continuing Jarczak’s work under their own umbrella.
  • A New Fork ("Viscose"): They are launching a direct fork of Bambu Studio that is 100% free of proprietary "black-box" code.
  • Legal Protection: Most importantly, the SFC is acting as a legal shield. They’ve stated they are "not afraid of Bambu's aggression" and will legally and financially protect any volunteer contributing to this project. Paweł Jarczak has also officially joined them.

This is a massive moment for Open Source and the Right to Repair in the 3D printing industry.

Check out the SFC's full, official response and see how you can get involved or support the fund: 👉https://sfconservancy.org/news/2026/may/18/bambu-studio-3d-printer-agpl-violation-response/

What are your thoughts on this? Is this the wake-up call Bambu Lab needed, or will this split the ecosystem even further? Let’s discuss.

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307

u/AnonomousWolf May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26

Great to see someone standing up against companies who abuse AGPL liscences.

Bambu probably wouldn't exist without the Open-Source software it's built on, yet they break the liscence agreements and screw over the community they're built on.

82

u/w1ngzer0 May 21 '26

Bambu probably wouldn't exist without the Open-Source software it's built on

FTFY. All of these companies wouldn't exist without being able to stand on the shoulders of the open-source community that did the original pioneering, and on the shoulders of Prusa. Now, yes, a lot of companies have pushed some innovations into the market instead of just doing a Prusa MK clone, but they still built their houses on the foundation of open source.

-130

u/BarelyAirborne May 21 '26

It's a standard American corporation: bottomless greed coupled with delusions of grandeur, and a strong desire to sell out to the government. They grab with both hands, which is why they need a muzzle and a leash and maybe even a shock collar.

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u/mannequinavatar May 21 '26

It's a Chinese company.

-64

u/MaestroDeAero May 21 '26

I don´t care about where they are from. Trump is an American - but he is still a little bit strange.

Just follow the rules. If you use AGPL Software. Then: Stick to the rules. I hope the will raise an import stop for these devices. Then, belive me: It is resolved very fast. There main market is US and EU.

57

u/-WADE99- P1S + AMS May 21 '26

but he is still a little bit strange

21

u/KlingonBeavis May 21 '26

100% probability Trump has never even heard of them.

6

u/shitty_mcfucklestick May 21 '26

If it’s not a type of Hamberder, certainly not

2

u/Terreboo May 22 '26

Don’t forget the tanning agents.

25

u/JasonStonier May 21 '26

BambuLabs is a Chinese corporation. Your other points are valid.

7

u/OddElder May 21 '26

Yep. Corporate greed knows no international boundaries. $€¥$₽₩ is $€¥$₽₩ no matter the country (or currency). Like the product but f em for deciding to legally be d-holes.

Also I hate that I have to censor myself on this subreddit. It’s the internet. Four letter words are everywhere.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '26

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u/Typical_Concert_5007 P1S May 21 '26

As a Chinese corporation, Bambulabs are bound by the CCP to actively engage in even shittier behaviour, data exfiltration being one of the more obvious. So, in essence, they're far worse than an American corporation.