Inventor Wins Free Speech Battle with DOJ to Distribute 3D-Printed Gun Designs

[baja]

AWR Hawkins
10 Jul 2018

Cody Wilson’s Defense Distributed and Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) reached a settlement with the Department of Justice allowing unfettered publication of 3D gun files and other information in a case centered on free speech.
Breitbart News reported that SAF filed a suit on behalf of Defense Distributed on May 6, 2015, seeking to free Wilson from a federal mandate that he not post blueprints for The Liberator pistol online.

Over three years later, the announcement comes that Wilson and SAF won.

SAF sent a press release to Breitbart News, explaining details of settlement, saying, “The government has agreed to waive its prior restraint against the plaintiffs, allowing them to freely publish the 3-D files and other information at issue. The government has also agreed to pay a significant portion of the plaintiffs’ attorney’s fees, and to return $10,000 in State Department registration dues paid by Defense Distributed as a result of the prior restraint.”

SAF founder and executive vice president Alan Gottlieb said, “Not only is this a First Amendment victory for free speech, it also is a devastating blow to the gun prohibition lobby. For years, anti-gunners have contended that modern semi-automatic sport-utility rifles are so-called ‘weapons of war,’ and with this settlement, the government has acknowledged they are nothing of the sort.”

Gottlieb added, “Under this settlement, the government will draft and pursue regulatory amendments that eliminate ITAR control over the technical information at the center of this case. They will transfer export jurisdiction to the Commerce Department, which does not impose prior restraint on public speech. That will allow Defense Distributed and SAF to publish information about 3-D technology.”

Breitbart News spoke with Cody Wilson after the settlement was reached. He said, “Our culture will not just be preserved, but will have a new life in the Internet. The age of the downloadable gun has formally begun.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.


https://www.breitbart.com/big-governmen ... inted-gun/

[Suck My Glock]

https://www.wired.com/story/a-landmark- ... -diy-guns/


WOO HOO!!! Way to go, Cody!!

[baja]

Thanks for the extra link, very informative.
Potential Quantum Leap in the gun world.

[Desert Rat]

Great job!! There is a big future for all types of 3D printing!!.

[lew]

Even though I've no current interest in 3d printing, I downloaded most of their files years ago just in case. Excellent outcome, and I applaud SAF for their work.

Despite the shitstirrers' and politicians best efforts, the future is looking bright, lads.

[smithers599]

Imagine that somebody had published instructions for 3D printing a do it yourself abortion device, and the government had tried to shut them down.

[Suck My Glock]

Even though I've no current interest in 3d printing, I downloaded most of their files years ago just in case. Excellent outcome, and I applaud SAF for their work.

Despite the shitstirrers' and politicians best efforts, the future is looking bright, lads.

This is not just 3D printing, but home fabrication of all kinds. Soon you will be able to purchase a tabletop machining center that can turn out AR15 receivers or 1911 receivers or nearly anything you like. The REALLY hot stuff will be when METAL 3D printing gets affordable. Ultimate suppressors will be a button push away.

[lew]

Right you are. This is big win. The citizenry will always be more adept and creative at wielding technology than the kleptocratic bureaucracy in power.