lets say I make a 3D printer capable of 3D printing itself

This sounds suspiciously like the replicators

this topic was already going off topic, don't blame me

And if I have something like that, I'll pretty much stop working and enjoy life :) .

Suppose someone made selfreplicating robots and set them free, they get very widespread cause of their usefulness, but have a tiny flaw cause when hit by water they stop working.

Some completely unrelated company gets its hands on a robot and instructs it to go under a roof if it starts raining. Then the company sells replications of that robot and claims noone should allow those to selfreplicate cause they had invented the robots and would now own exclusive rights on them although they never even asked the original inventor. Also the company makes use of airships which they had build and sold earlier for some other purposes to spread water everywhere to extinguish all original robots and generate a monopoly. Wouldnt that be ridiculous?

Wouldnt that be ridiculous?

That one specific scenario - yes, that would be absolutely bloody ridiculous.

Translated into more everyday terms, it seems like a good, albeit a dirty and underhanded, strategy to eliminate the competition. Also illegal, depending on gov. regulations on monopolies.

And if I have something like that, I'll pretty much stop working and enjoy life .

Sure, until the inevitable happens and the self-printing 3d printers consume all matter in the world, turning the earth into one huge ball of 3d printers orbiting the sun. :)

Wouldnt that be ridiculous?

That one specific scenario - yes, that would be absolutely bloody ridiculous.

Actually that sounds like something the USPTO would grant a patent for.

Much like Method and Apparatus to send messages from one computer to another where a) network is a LAN b) network is a WAN c) network is the internet.

Or like Steal the design of 1960-1980 Braun devices and sue a Korean competitor for making something that looks the same.

Also the company makes use of airships which they had build and sold earlier for some other purposes to spread water everywhere to extinguish all original robots and generate a monopoly.

Also the company makes use of airships which they had build and sold earlier for some other purposes to spread water everywhere to extinguish all original robots and generate a monopoly.

What is this analogous to?

Actively advertising against the use of GIF because of its patents. Then, pretending to own a patent for JPEG, blackmail around $100 million from every major company using JPEG in frivolous lawsuits. Then quickly changing the company's name to Asure, so none of the victims can get their money back.