Should 3-D printed gun blueprints be legally allowed to get downloaded to American citizens from the internet?
"Defense Distributed is an online,
open-source organization that develops digital
firearms files, or "wiki weapons", that may be downloaded from the Internet and used in
3D printing or
CNC milling applications.Among the organization's goals is to develop and freely publish firearms-related design schematics that can be downloaded and reproduced by anyone with a 3D printer or milling machine, facilitating the popular production of
ghost guns.
The company is best known for developing and releasing the files for the
Liberator, the world's first completely 3D printed gun. On May 5, 2013, Defense Distributed made these printable
STL files public,and within days the
United States Department of State demanded they be removed from the Internet, citing a violation of the
International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
On May 6, 2015, Defense Distributed, joined by the
Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), brought suit against the Department of State in the Western District of Texas, which denied its
preliminary injunction request. It subsequently appealed to the Fifth Circuit, which affirmed the denial, and then the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case.
On July 10, 2018 it was announced that Defense Distributed and
Second Amendment Foundation had accepted a settlement offer from the Department of State, effectively winning the case and restarting their work.
Western Washington District Court Judge
Robert S. Lasnik subsequently issued an order suspending the settlement and the public release of Defense Distributed's files. Multiple lawsuits are currently filed by state governments and Defense Distributed seeking to challenge or uphold this settlement."
Reference:
Defense Distributed - Wikipedia
Aren't printed 3-D gun blueprints an expression of free speech, which is a legal individual right that the U.S. Constitution guarantees?