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Federal Judge Strikes Down DoJ's Deal with Defense Distributed

posted by martyb on Thursday November 14 2019, @10:08AM   Printer-friendly
from the now-it's-Defense...Disturbed? dept.

takyon writes:

Trump deal to share 3D-printed gun blueprints online ruled 'unlawful'

A federal judge has struck down a decision by the Trump administration to allow blueprints for 3D-printed guns to be shared online.

In a ruling published Tuesday, Judge Robert Lasnik said the deal made in July last year was "arbitrary and capricious" and thus a violation of the federal Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution.

The original deal was part of a settlement between the Justice Department and Texas-based nonprofit Defense Distributed, which garnered worldwide attention in 2013 with its claims to have created the world's first "100 percent 3D-printed gun." The dissemination of plans for the gun was blocked by the Obama administration, but last year Defense Distributed successfully sued the government and had the ban reversed, arguing that it was a free speech violation.

[...] Bloomberg notes that the decision may still have limitations, given that Defense Distributed worked around a previous, temporary ban on downloading plans by simply mailing blueprints directly to customers. Said [spokesperson Chad] Flores: "The speech these states want so badly to censor is already on the internet and always will be."

Also at Bloomberg, NYT, and CBS.

Previously: Landmark Legal Shift for 3D-Printed Guns
[Updated] Defense Distributed Releasing Gun Plans, President Trump "Looking Into" It
Federal Judge Imposes Preliminary Injunction Against Defense Distributed's DEFCAD

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by khallow on Thursday November 14 2019, @02:39PM (5 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday November 14 2019, @02:39PM (#920345) Journal
    Note that the censorship was done under ITAR [wikipedia.org] (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) which IMHO is the worst violation of the First Amendment in modern times. You can run afoul of the law, if you talk about the forbidden subjects (military weapons, rocketry, etc) to non US citizens. The censorship will be effective enough to keep most businesses out of it.

    Law enforcers are always pushing the boundaries on this stuff, and their zealousness has to be constantly checked.

    Indeed.

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  • (Score: 1, Troll) by exaeta on Thursday November 14 2019, @02:51PM (4 children)

    by exaeta (6957) on Thursday November 14 2019, @02:51PM (#920350) Homepage Journal
    The government is evil. Civil disobedience is a thing. That and foot dragging them into the Courts. Every citizen should drag the government into the courts unless your circuit has already ruled finally in favor of these bans until the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case. Note I said finally, not in favor of a preliminary injunction. And if the Supreme Court upholds it, repeat each time a new justice is appointed.
    --
    The Government is a Bird

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 14 2019, @04:32PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 14 2019, @04:32PM (#920395)

      Some parts of government are evil.

      Maybe we should bring back "conservatives are literally nazis" if you want to play that dumb absolutist game.

      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday November 15 2019, @01:44AM (2 children)

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday November 15 2019, @01:44AM (#920581) Journal
        Sounds like a productive use of your time.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 15 2019, @06:23AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 15 2019, @06:23AM (#920621)

          In the "off-season" now, are we, khallow? Nothing to do, but foment Vienna Circle libertatianism until the snow melts and the passes open in the spring? Living off of socialist "unemployment insurance", are we? Unemployment from your "Deep State" contracting job? Q is on to you!!!

          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday November 15 2019, @02:11PM

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday November 15 2019, @02:11PM (#920688) Journal

            Living off of socialist "unemployment insurance", are we?

            For what it's worth, I'm not, but I could be. One can collect unemployment insurance for being between seasonal employment.