6,165 research outputs found
Don\u27t Bring a CAD File to a Gun Fight: A Technological Solution to the Legal and Practical Challenges of Enforcing ITAR on the Internet
This Essay begins by outlining Cody Wilson’s motivation to found his organization, Defense Distributed, and the organization’s progress toward its goals. Then, Part II provides a brief overview of the protracted legal battle between Wilson and the State Department over the right to publish Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files on the internet that enable the 3D printing of guns and lower receivers. Part III.A takes a brief look at whether these CAD files are rightly considered speech at all and, if so, what level of protection they might receive. Part III.B then addresses the problem of even asking whether the files are speech subject to regulation. Part III.B also highlights the similarities between regulating internet speech and regulating public-order crimes, focusing on the impact that enforcement problems in both areas can have on government credibility. It ultimately questions whether these legal battles provide any utility to society. In Part IV, this Essay argues that the State Department is utilizing old and incongruent regulations to enforce practically unenforceable laws to little or no effect, ultimately hurting the credibility of the State and martyring people like Wilson. This Essay advocates for a solution that focuses on 3D printer manufacturers as a control point for gun manufacturing. This solution avoids First Amendment issues and makes import and export control a physical reality, rather than an unbounded problem relegated to an open internet. This Essay looks beyond a judicial solution to practical solutions that stem the growth of in-house manufacturing of weapons
Don\u27t Bring a CAD File to a Gun Fight: A Technological Solution to the Legal and Practical Challenges of Enforcing ITAR on the Internet
This Essay begins by outlining Cody Wilson’s motivation to found his organization, Defense Distributed, and the organization’s progress toward its goals. Then, Part II provides a brief overview of the protracted legal battle between Wilson and the State Department over the right to publish Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files on the internet that enable the 3D printing of guns and lower receivers. Part III.A takes a brief look at whether these CAD files are rightly considered speech at all and, if so, what level of protection they might receive. Part III.B then addresses the problem of even asking whether the files are speech subject to regulation. Part III.B also highlights the similarities between regulating internet speech and regulating public-order crimes, focusing on the impact that enforcement problems in both areas can have on government credibility. It ultimately questions whether these legal battles provide any utility to society. In Part IV, this Essay argues that the State Department is utilizing old and incongruent regulations to enforce practically unenforceable laws to little or no effect, ultimately hurting the credibility of the State and martyring people like Wilson. This Essay advocates for a solution that focuses on 3D printer manufacturers as a control point for gun manufacturing. This solution avoids First Amendment issues and makes import and export control a physical reality, rather than an unbounded problem relegated to an open internet. This Essay looks beyond a judicial solution to practical solutions that stem the growth of in-house manufacturing of weapons
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The Legal Dimension of 3D Printing: Analyzing Secondary Liability in Additive Layer Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, allows for the construction of highly-customizable, detailed, three-dimensional objects using a different mechanism than traditional manufacturing. This technology has already yielded innovative developments in medicine, fashion, art, manufacturing, and several other fields. However, 3D printing is not without controversy. As 3D printers and compatible designs become more publicly accessible, users can engage in illegal activity such as copyright, trademark, patent infringement, or printing of contraband and otherwise-regulated materials such as drugs or weapons. This Note addresses these legal issues in the context of analogous technologies, focusing especially on copyright issues. The Note then advocates for direct regulation of 3D printing
A Content Analysis of 3D Printing Policies at Academic Libraries
Many academic libraries are adopting 3D printing programs and researching, writing, and implementing policies for these programs. This article analyzes the content of 50 academic library 3D printing policies looking for commonalities. Five major themes emerged from the analysis: the policy\u27s purpose, potential users of the 3D printers, 3D printing procedures, the acceptable uses of the 3D printers, and user privacy considerations. This article provides a breakdown of these five major themes
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