Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- A Seattle court prevented Cody Wilson from publishing 3D files on the Internet for free. Wilson obeys. Now he sells the 3D files in thumb drives instead.
Cody Wilson, while complying with a court order requiring the State Department to retreat from a First Amendment legal settlement, has taken another route showing the irrationality of the court decision.
Here is a brief history of this interesting, if silly, attempt to stop the flow of information.
In 2013, Cody Wilson and Defense Distributed showed the technical potential of using 3D printers to make a simple, plastic, one shot pistol. They called it the Liberator. They released the files on the Internet, for free. Shortly after, the State Department ordered them to stop distributing the files on the Internet. The State Department, under President Obama, argued that distribution of the information on the Internet was an illegal exportation of controlled munitions.
In 2015, Defense Distributed sued the State Department for violating their First Amendment rights.
In 2018, under the Trump administration, the State Department, realizing they would lose the lawsuit, decided to settle with Defense Distributed. They admitted releasing the files on the Internet were not an illegal exportation of munitions.
Furious proponents of population disarmament went judge shopping. They found a compliant Senior District judge in Seattle. He ordered a temporary injunction against the settlement, then made the injunction permanent. His arguments are unlikely to stand on appeal. They delay the exercise of Cody Wilson and Defense Distributed’s First Amendment rights to post on the Internet.
Two enterprising individuals offered the code for sale, in book form, on Amazon. Amazon took down the offers after a few days. They gave no explanation. The Washington Post, a supporter of the First Amendment, as long as it is used for leftist causes, was silent on the issue.
Cody Wilson used the notoriety to perform First Amendment judo. He is selling the files on thumb, or “key” drives to anyone who wants them, at the price of their choosing. From arstechnica.com:
The files, crucially, will be transmitted to customers “on a DD-branded flash drive” in the United States. Wilson also mentioned looking into customer email and secure download links.
Previously, Defense Distributed had given the files away for free, globally.
“I’m happy to become the iTunes of 3D guns if I can’t be Napster,” Wilson said, adding that anyone can submit a file to sell on his platform, where they will receive 50 percent of the sales proceeds. Wilson said files uploaded to the platform must “be liquid info,” or things like CAD files, blueprints, and schematics. He reiterated users cannot resell materials they don’t possess the rights to and that Defense Distributed has already put the infrastructure in place to review user submissions.
Throughout the event, Wilson would periodically check his phone in order to see recent Defense Distributed pay-what-you-want sales. “I’ve seen a guy pay $15, lots of people paying $1, others are $10, $8 for the AR-15 file,” he told the assembled press. “It’s very generous, just people who want to support us. See, $0, a free-rider—give me a cent.” He said the company has completed “a few hundred” pay-what-you-want transactions thus far.
This is an effective way to counter the use of judges to negate the First Amendment. It makes the judge look silly. It shows the stupidity of the original decision to attempt to censor the spread of legal and widely available information on the Internet.
Proponents of population disarmament are caught in a box of their own making. They cannot stop the selling of the files without violating the First Amendment.
They are shown to be ineffectual and tyrannical, a terrible combination.
©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
Why is he complying with this illegal, unconstitutional ruling by this pusillanimous judge from some far off corner of the country ? What gives that black robed TRAITOR the power to eviscarate our rights ? He should flip him the bird and continue to do what he was doing. IMHO ! In the meantime, that Judge should be charged with all the crimes associated with his actions. Don’t we have any lawyers or law enforcement with any balls anymore ? Where is the rule of law ? Why aren’t any of them evoking the Constitution and the Supremacy Clause ?
Washington state is not ‘some far off corner of the country’. Exactly how is a lawyer or police officer going to charge a federal judge with a crime? Where is your brain? Why are you not evoking a new tinfoil hat?
You mean, they told him not to post THIS?
Piss OFF the LEFTIST Censors. FREE 3-D printed gun blueprints here, so download all 10 or so!
https://www.CodeIsFreeSpeech.com/
The judge probably thinks the Internet is a series of tubes.
Honestly tired of these do as I say not as I do judges and government agents… we have a right to not follow unjust laws. But unfortunately the justice system is bought and paid for and runs off of individual emotions and beliefs I stead of facts and rule of law… and not to mention “oh my feels, my feeling are hurt so I say you can’t do this.”
With the power of the people we shall overcome all tyranny and censorship.
I’m sure it’s in the ether by now.. These unconstitutional radicals are really out of control trying to appease their globalist masters in their efforts to revoke rights to the “Riff-Raff..” When is America going to regain its freedom and get these tyrants out of office? The people will not be repressed, and we will not be bullied of our constitutional rights any longer! The frizzen has been set into place: the freedom wave cometh.
https://codeisfreespeech.com/
“Can’t stop the signal, Mal.”
I posted a copy of the files on the NJ Attorney Generals website with a note for him to build his own :). If would be great if others did the same, make them more of a laughing stock then they already are.
thats awesome.. was it a link people could go to and copy or was it just a pic of the blueprint? it would be great if it was a file people could copy from the AGs website.. then they would be guilty of violating their own injunction..
Dean, you missed one very important point about how silly this is. The judge’s ruling only stops Cody Wilson and Defense Distributed from posting the files on the internet – IT DOESN’T APPLY TO ANYONE ELSE! So, it does not stop the posting, it just violates Cody’s rights under color of law.
This is going to be a fun ride watching Cody make fools of these liberal anti-rights activists.
Why is Cody expected to obey the law when cities across the country flaunt and ignore them by wrapping themselves in the cloak of “sanctuary city”.
He has obeyed every law.
Cody followed the law explicitly as per Judge Lasnik’s decision. For all those saying he is breaking the law and the TRO, he isn’t.