The government will permit Americans to publish 3-D gun files, following a settlement between the the Justice Department and plaintiffs concerning a free speech lawsuit that was filed on behalf of Cody Wilson and Defense Distributed.
The Second Amendment Foundation and Defense Distributed filed a lawsuit against the State Department in 2015 to push back on conditions outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which sought to supervise exports of military materials.
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“Not only is this a First Amendment victory for free speech, it also is a devastating blow to the gun prohibition lobby,” SAF founder and executive vice president Alan M. Gottlieb said in a statement. “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.”
“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,” he added. “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.”
The settlement reached between the parties claims that the government will waive the past restrictions against Wilson and Defense Distributed so that the 3-D files and other information that could be used to produce lawful firearms can be published. Additionally, some of the plaintiff’s attorney’s fees will be covered by the government.
The settlement also says that the non-automatic firearms up to .50 caliber are not considered military. This applies to semi-automatic rifles including the AR-15.
