Landmark Legal Shift For DIY Guns

Source: wired.com

Cody Wilson uploaded a digital file to the internet with the plans to build a 3D printable firearm. He had his advocates as well as critics, with firearms being a hotly contested issue. His was a believer in the right to own a gun and he wanted to give others whom were of like belief a venue to procure a weapon without all the government red tape.

He launched a site, Defcad.com, and uploaded the file to that site. He made a decision to go all in with his desire to make firearms accessible and he dropped out of law school to pursue his dream. As you can see Mr. Wilson is not totally devoid of the law and just a anarchist. Under the law, it is lawful to sell the internal parts of a gun although there are restrictions when it comes to the receiver or the gun frame. THIS IS GENERAL STATEMENT AND NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS LAW. I am not a lawyer and I am not providing legal advise.

Within a week, Wilson received a letter from the US State Department demanding that he take down his gun blueprints or face prosecution. He complied but his attorney advised him that he maybe liable for fines due to him making the plans available to overseas users whom may have downloaded the file.

To prevent any further liability, Wilson decided to take the issue to court. About 2 months ago, the Department of Justice offered Wilson a settlement to end the lawsuit. By the way, the department of justice made their offer quietly and under the radar so to keep it from public scrutiny. Wilson's attorneys focused their legal argument on a free speech claim. They proposed that by forbidding Wilson from posting his 3D file, the State Department was not only violating his right to bear arms but his right to freely share information.

The Department of Justice essentially surrendered to that argument. They agreed to amend the export control rules in regards to any firearm below .50 caliber with some exceptions. The bottom line, it allows Mr. Wilson to publish the data for the 3D firearms. He expects to relaunch his website, Defcad.com which will serve as a repository of firearm blueprints.

Source: wired.com