Indiana Law Journal Volume 90 Issue 2 Article 12 Spring 2015 Unlocked and Loaded: Government Censorship of 3D-Printed Firearms and a Proposal for More Reasonable Regulation of 3D- Printed Goods Danton L. Bryans Indiana University - Bloomington,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ilj Part of the Computer Law Commons, First Amendment Commons, and the Science and Technology Law Commons Recommended Citation Bryans, Danton L. (2015) "Unlocked and Loaded: Government Censorship of 3D-Printed Firearms and a Proposal for More Reasonable Regulation of 3D-Printed Goods," Indiana Law Journal: Vol. 90 : Iss. 2 , Article 12. Available at: https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/ilj/vol90/iss2/12 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School Journals at Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Indiana Law Journal by an authorized editor of Digital Repository @ Maurer Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Unlocked and Loaded: Government Censorship of 3D-Printed Firearms and a Proposal for More Reasonable Regulation of 3D-Printed Goods DANTON BRYANS* INTRODUCTION In August 2012, Defense Distributed launched the Wiki Weapon Project.1 The stated mission of the group was to produce a working 3D-printed firearm and then publically release the corresponding data files.2 The group sought to raise $20,000 on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo for the design and creation of the world’s first 3D-printed firearm,3 or a “Wiki Weapon” as the group referred to it.4 Despite several setbacks with funding5 and producing6 the firearm, Defense Distributed announced the successful test firing of a working prototype—the Liberator pistol— less than a year later.7 True to its word—and name—Defense Distributed released the prototype’s data files for the Liberator shortly thereafter.8 Almost immediately after Defense Distributed’s release, the U.S.