It looks like Amazon could be entering the 3D printing business after they recently registered the domain name Amazon3Dprinting.com via the brand protection company MarkMonitor, and filed a patent back in February for mobile 3D printing trucks.

Amazon has already made a stab at entering the 3D printing market through the opening of the amazon 3D printing store. The wide range of products has been made possible by Amazon working in collaboration with companies like Sculpteo, Sandbox, and ZVerse.

However, Amazon is still a long way off from being able to compete competitively with the 3D printed model behemoth; Shapeways, who offer a vast range of models in a large number of different materials.

It is hard to believe that the world’s largest retailer won’t enter the 3D printing market competitively soon. However, at the moment their recent acquisitions of patents and domain names may simply be for brand protection.