Earlier this year, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu sued CTRLPEW, LLC and The Gatalog for providing firearms computer-aided design (CAD) files over the internet. California law prohibits sharing files that allow users to 3D-print firearms at home. Although the law applies only to California residents, The Gatalog makes the files freely available to anyone on the internet via Odysee.com. California claims the two websites are violating the law even though neither is hosted in the state.
Alexander Holladay (known online as CTRLPEW), CTRLPEW, LLC, Centurion Partners Group, LLC, Jonathan Adams, and Trey Bickley are now suing the state of California. They allege that the state is infringing on their First and Second Amendment rights and assert claims of extraterritorial overreach and retroactivity.
Mr. Holladay is a designer and author of numerous CAD files for guns. Centurion Partners Group, LLC is a federally licensed firearms manufacturer (Type 07 FFL) that uses CTRLPEW resources for lawful business purposes. Mr. Bickley and Mr. Adams are Florida residents who receive, view, archive, and use the content. (Adams lawfully manufactured and possesses a Plastikov V4 firearm using CTRLPEW materials.)
The case is a § 1983 civil rights action seeking declaratory and prospective injunctive relief against the State of California. The plaintiffs are not asking the Florida federal court to interfere with the ongoing California state court enforcement action (People v. Gatalog Foundation Inc., et al.) or to block California from enforcing its laws against in-state manufacture, possession, sale, or distribution.
Instead, they are challenging the defendants’ extraterritorial application of two new California Civil Code provisions (effective 2026), §§ 3273.61 and 3273.625, to purely Florida-based speech and conduct:
- Publication of 3D digital models (STEP/STL files), written guides, photographs, political commentary, humor, and curation on the open internet from Florida.
- Receipt, viewing, archiving, discussion, repair, maintenance, and lawful use of that protected speech in Florida.
The plaintiffs argue that Holladay’s STEP/STL files are digital sculptures containing expressive 3D art, including geometry, aesthetics, and political satire. One example cited is the “Joshie Woshie 9,” a design intended to mock Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s crusade against homemade firearms. They contend that the files constitute commentary and parody, filled with cultural references. They emphasize that STLs are not G-Code and cannot be automatically printed into a firearm; the end user must run separate slicer software and make numerous choices to produce a physical object. The accompanying guides are also full of humor, quips, and political speech.
The plaintiffs further argue that California’s broad definitions and enforcement theory, which reaches “promoting” or “facilitating”, chill protected speech in Florida and prevent Florida residents from receiving it.
The plaintiffs also claim that the California laws infringe on Second Amendment rights by burdening Florida residents’ and businesses’ ability to make, keep, maintain, repair, and use lawfully possessed arms in Florida. For example, Mr. Holladay has stopped publishing new designs out of fear of liability, which prevents Florida residents and businesses from accessing new resources. Adams cannot obtain Holladay’s reinforced grip model to repair his broken Plastikov V4, and Centurion cannot use new designs for lawful manufacturing and repair.
Additionally, the plaintiffs challenge the laws on grounds of extraterritorial overreach and retroactivity. California is currently suing CTRLPEW in state court and seeking millions in penalties for conduct that occurred entirely outside the state. The state is targeting works created and posted years before the statutes took effect or the enforcement action began. California is demanding that the plaintiffs retroactively block Californians from accessing openly posted internet content or face massive penalties. The plaintiffs note that California has already sought a preliminary injunction that would reach agents, affiliates, and third-party internet platforms and hosts.
The plaintiffs’ injuries are clear: Mr. Holladay has halted publication of new works due to fear of ruinous liability and third-party takedowns. Florida users (Bickley, Adams, and Centurion) are deprived of new expressive content and practical repair/manufacturing resources. The chilling effect extends far beyond the plaintiffs and is felt throughout Florida.
CTRL+PEW Sues California in Federal Court Over 3D-Printed Gun Files
About John Crump
Mr. Crump is an NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons. Follow him on X at @right2bear or at www.crumpy.com.
Breaking…
I still don’t understand the legal theory that allows one State to prosecute a resident of a different State for actions taken outside of the prosecuting State. If a CA resident drove to a State on its eastern border and downloaded the files, does the law still allow the prosecution? If the FL guy who is presently sitting in a Rikers Island cell had mailed the gun parts to WV hotel c/o a NY resident would the NY AG still be able to prosecute? It still seems to me that interstate commerce is the purview of the Federal Government and… Read more »
Sounds like the CA AG is attempting to take jurisdiction, under circumstances where he should not.
clearly an intersate commerce issue. CA are violating the ICC laws by attemptong to limit/proscribe actions ocurring wholly outside their boundaries.
The verdict must go wholly against CA, including compensatory and punitive damages. This is bully lawphare.