Nick Pycha
11/10/16
Cyber law
Point, Click, Fire: 3D printed gun’s legal implications
I. Introduction
With new emerging technology, there is always an influx of new laws and regulations that come along with it and three-dimensional (“3D”) printing is no different. 3D printing is predicted to have a major effect on the market but this will also lead to many problems in multiple areas of law. 3D printing transforms computer code and designs into actual physical objects of all kinds. All it takes is a click of a button and people can print a numerous array of objects that range from every day household items to human limbs. Recently the development of fully-functioning 3D printed-guns and gun parts has caught the attention of many. This paper discusses the effects that 3D printed guns has already had on our First and Second Amendment rights and how it may effect gun control regulation in the future.
Part II of this paper will focus on the process of how 3D printers produce physical objects. This section will explain the computer files that are used in order to turn them into three-dimensional objects. The most noteworthy objects so far have bene the 3D printed guns and gun parts that have been designed by Defense Distributed.
Part III will discuss the First amendment implications of 3D printing guns. This section will discuss the how the published files by Defense Distributed should be treated as speech under the First Amendment. The government restricting 3D printed
3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital design. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process the desired object is created by laying down successive layers of material (usually molten alloy or plastics) until the entire object is formed. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object.
Although, weapons can be handcrafted already, the advent of 3-D printing (3DP) has increased the ease of the process significantly. No special skills or tools are needed; rather a 3-D printer, CAD software that can be improved easily and some metal have the possibility of resulting in highly sophisticated weapons. If these printers fall into the wrong hands, they will serve as a powerful tool for criminals. On May 5, 2013, the
As 3D printing transitions from commercial manufacturing use to personal private use individuals will have the ability to print any design. Products can range from a pair of shoes to complicated engineering designs, life-saving devices, prosthetic limbs and weapons that pass airport security. In the future we will likely see printable medications and
The video begins with a projection on the screen of a list of restrictions imposed by the United States government regarding the types of weapons her constituents may posses, and use. The list begins with the guaranty of the Second Amendment, and goes through the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934, the Gun Control Act (1968), and the topic of this video, the Semiautomatic rifle import ban (1989).
Loopholes are a big problem regarding laws about firearms. “Ghost” guns are firearms without a serial number, which is manufactured by the average person, and not purchased from a store. 3D printing is an issue as well, because most people with 3D printers can just print parts of a firearm and assemble a full firearm. While it could benefit the fingerprint lock companies, gun safe companies, it causes more problems than solve. These problems include: Bulky attachments, sensor loading times, and faulty fingerprint sensors, which could lead to longer draw times, and could determine the outcome of a soon to be
We have developed 1’s and 0’s that when processed correctly, create a piece of plastic that is capable of firing a small object at lethal speeds. Before we start the essay can I just note how awe inspiring that is. Over 220 years ago, the bill of rights was ratified, becoming part of our constitution. Since that time people have interpreted the text in the document in different ways. This certainly does include the second amendment. I believe that 3D printed guns are not a threat because they are expensive to print, possibly dangerous to fire, and inaccessible to the majority. However, there are no identity checks to download and print the gun.
Gun rights are a hotly debated topic in the United States, especially in light of recent mass shootings that have occurred. Guns have caused a high number of casualties, eliciting a need to reassess gun laws. There is no one easy solution to the problem, especially due to the development of new firearms such as assault rifles, machine guns, and semi-automatic handguns. Before delving more into the subject matter at hand, let us explore more about the history of gun policies in the US.
Based upon my understanding of the United States Constitution as well as listening to the arguments brought forth by the two parties in this particular case, I see a great reason to believe that three of the four provisions of the Firearm Owner’s Privacy Act is an unconstitutional abridgment of the First Amendment. The record-keeping provision, anti-harassment provision, and the inquiry provisions are in clear violation of the First Amendment as they are content-based regulations of speech that fail strict scrutiny. However, the anti-discrimination provision of the law is constitutional as it does not regulate free speech.
Firearms have been in American history since the birth of America, however, as time progresses, the purpose of a gun have changed along with the opinions of the people. With many crimes and murders committed with a firearm, some feel the need to implement stricter gun control laws. However, others feel that this is a violation of the second amendment’s “right to bear arms.” With major organizations forming such as the NRA to protect the rights of the second amendment, the topic of having stricter gun control laws have become a very controversial issue in the United States in recent years.
In 1787, when the U.S. Constitution was written, did our founding fathers plan for the negative association of guns with violence amongst their own citizens? Did they foresee the advancement of their one-shot muskets becoming automatic assault rifles? The news today is riddled with debates of gun control due to many accounts of our nation’s troubled citizens, to the unaware youth, being able to easily obtain lethal firearms. From the tragedy of Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech to the death of a four year-old by his own mother’s gun, brings to attention to the question of how these lethal firearms should be handled. Opinions vary from both extremes of the spectrum but as the controversial topic continues, many gun enthusiasts believe that
Why go to stores and spend lots of money buying toys, jewelry, cups and many other plastic utilities when you can only press one button and print them out for yourself. This futuristic idea is not only innovating the scientific and technological world, but it is also innovating modern day households. The possibilities of 3D printing are extremely captivating, making this one of the most exciting innovations in recent times. 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, makes three-dimensional solid objects from a digital model or command. To picture how this process works, 3D printers use an additive process, where adding layers of a successive material creates an object. Traditional machines, however, uses a subtractive process by
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an exciting feat of modern human innovation emerging at the dawn of a new industrial uprising, however as we all know, with all beneficial revolutions come vindictive consequence. 3D printable firearms are a stain in a revolution that could potentially change the world as we know it. These weapons are a reality and they are under much scrutiny in the engineering and technological world with major implications on public safety and loopholes in federal regulations. The emerging technology of 3D printing has been under development for many years now and the potential is highly underestimated. The latent violence that 3D printed weapons - or more specifically - guns could impose on society is frankly frightening. The controversy is generated from two different sides: one side takes the stance that these guns will be used as undetectable firearms for crime and could give anyone with a printer access to a lethal weapon; the other side believes that just as an individual could go to a hardware store and buy tools to enact violence in some form, a 3D printed firearm is no different. Part II will present the cutting edge technology of 3D printing, the uprising and how it has evolved. Part III introduces good and bad the 3D printing technology carries, and the reality of 3D printed firearms and their evolution. Part IV analyses the implications that 3D printed firearms have on current and future regulations and society as well as plausible solutions
Government policy - Although 3D printing opens up new practical challenges, protection of 3D designs and objects under intellectual property, the policy questions about 3D printers are not
In order to understand how a 3D printer actually makes things, it helps to “think of a real-life topographical map: the 3D printer lays down incremental layers—one on top of another to build a 3D model. A 3D printer works in a similar fashion to a typical2D printer. The 3D printer extrudes,
3D printing is a technology that was invented in the early 1980s by a man named Charles Hull (Ventola, 2014). Since its creation, 3D printing has branched into many different aspects of the world and is being utilized in fields like the automotive industry, medicine and is even being used for everyday purposes. Later on, Charles Hull founded a company called 3D Systems which developed the first ever 3D printer. In 1988, Hull and his company 3D Systems, put forth the first commercially available 3D printer. From this point on, 3D printing would be advanced and evolved to the point where it would have the opportunity to create a revolutionary impact on the world we