First and Second Amendments Must Yield to “National Security” in 3-D Printed Guns Case

First and Second Amendments Must Yield to “National Security” in 3-D Printed Guns Case

Three years ago, the activist group Defense Distributed, Inc. created a shareware file that serves as a template for 3-D printed firearms – a cheap, single-shot handgun called the “Liberator” that is cast in plastic, and would use a cheap nail as a firing pin. At the time, the company explained that by creating and sharing the file, they would circumvent future federal government efforts to confiscate civilian-owned firearms.

The State Department, which doesn’t have domestic jurisdiction, ordered Defense Distributed to take down the website through which the 3-D printing file would be made available. The company challenged the order in court, assisted by an amicus brief from the Electronic Frontier Foundation that argued that the State Department’s directive violates the First Amendment

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