State Department and plastic guns

[RetiredUSNChief]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/may/09/3d-printed-guns-plans-state-department

I haven't checked for other sources on this...kinda busy right now. So if anybody finds any other good links on this, please feel free to update this string.

It would appear that our illustrious government has stepped in and taken a stand on the publication of 3D CAD drawings on the internet, with respect to firearms manufacture. Defense Distributed has been ordered ("requested"? "blocked"?) to take down the files they posted, the reason cited being "international arms control law".

However, the files have already been downloaded some 100,000 times. And, interesting to note, the files were posted on an out of country website, based in New Zealand, AND all the user information for everybody who logged into the site and/or downloaded the files is encrypted.

The files evidently were also posted on the Pirate Bay file-sharing site, where they were cited as having been a popular download.

This will be interesting to see where this takes us in the legal field, with respect to publishing this kind of information on the internet.

Hold onto your socks...the government has just proven that they've been closely monitoring the 3D printing technology with respect to firearms manufacturing.

 

[Cosmoline]

Just remember this the next time someone tries to claim that international arms treaties don't have any impact on the RKBA in the US.

I fear for the inventor. The State Department is certain to make an example of him. But you can't stop the signal.

 

[brickeyee]

You could sort of see this one coming, ITAR v. First Amendment.

It has already created issues at technical symposiums.

ITAR has its tentacles into a LOT of technical info for satellite and electronics.

All in the name of making it harder for out technology to be used against us.

 

[steveno]

it is very naive for the government to think that only the U.S. has this kind of technology. it has been out there for at least 20 years

 

[wrc]

ITAR isn't a treaty. It is US export controls on defense-related items. ITAR is what they tried to use to keep Phil Zimmerman from exporting PGP. ITAR is what prevents you from showing foreign nationals GEN 3 NV equipment.

It's home-grown through-and-through.

 

[Diamondback6]

And it's designed to get the State Department's hooks into literally EVERYTHING. A T-shirt? "Materiel potentially usable for military uniform." Food? "Materiel potentially usable for military rations." A radio-controlled model airplane? "Guidance and propulsion systems for munitions or unmanned air vehicles." Windows OS? "Sensitive computer technology."

We MUST drive a stake through this thing's heart... especially since it is a proven fact that our State Department is infested with people who place our enemies' interests above our own. Give former KGB archivist Mitrokhin's The Sword and the Shield and The World Was Going Our Way a read, and you'll see things about KGB activities subverting America from within through higher education, the career bureaucrat class and the diplomatic corps that'll curl your hair...

 

[Art Eatman]

Much laughter and scorn all around the Internet at the State Department's very belated effort in invoking ITAR.

Same scorn for the various lawmakers who are "not well acquainted" with modern technology.

So let's not waste bandwidth on this...