The AWCY Scz0rpion EVO, one of the many 3D printed guns that can be built from plans available on one of Defense Distributed's subsites.

Attorneys representing the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Defense Distributed have filed an appellants’ brief in their long-running First Amendment challenge of the New Jersey statute which prohibits the publication of computer files containing digital firearms information. Defense Distributed, according to their website, is the first private defense contractor in service of the general public. Since 2012’s Wiki Weapon project, Defense Distributed has provided state-of-the-art information in small scale, digital and personal gunsmithing technology.

The brief was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. SAF and Defense Distributed, based in Texas, are represented by attorneys Chad Flores and Josh Blackman, both in Houston, Texas and attorney Daniel L. Schmutter at Hartman & Winnicki in Ridgewood, N.J.

Since July 2018, the New Jersey Attorney General has acted under color of law to censor the publication of Defense Distributed’s Second Amendment speech. This has included a cease-and-desist letter to Defense Distributed, and threats to Defense Distributed’s third-party service providers. It amounted to a campaign of harassment and intimidation, which led to the federal lawsuit filed by SAF and Defense Distributed.

“This case has been dragging on since 2018, and it is obvious the New Jersey Attorney General is engaging in legal gamesmanship,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “We won fairly in the Fifth Circuit in the battle over jurisdiction, but now the AG has gone back to a district court in the Garden State simply because he doesn’t like losing.

“This is a case about government censorship. New Jersey is simply waging an ideological war against Defense Distributed for providing information online about firearms knowledge and possession.”

“In our continued pursuit of justice,” noted SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut, “we’ve had to literally chase the New Jersey Attorney General from one federal court circuit to another. New Jersey’s effort to stifle the First Amendment rights of Defense Distributed is reaching the realm of stubborn defiance. It constitutes a tortious interference with Defense Distributed’s business, in addition to violating their rights under the First and Second Amendments. The attorney general isn’t just trying to delay justice, he is trying to deny justice altogether.”

Defense Distributed operates three separate websites beneath their umbrella as part of their effort to support the 3D gun community. They include:

DEFCAD: A file-sharing platform designed as a comprehensive model repository for digital gunsmiths. DEFCAD is the world’s largest repository for small arms technical data, established by Defense Distributed in 2012. To ensure the world’s 2D and 3D firearms reference files and blueprints are permanently available in the public domain, our platform organizes open source collections and develops bibliographic standards for the benefit of the American rifleman and gunsmith.

GHOST GUNNER: Ghost Gunner is a third-generation, programmable desktop CNC with a gunsmithing design emphasis and related software. It supports a large open source community and a growing library of firearms patterns, including the AR-15, AR-308, 1911, and Polymer80 frames.

LEGIO: LEGIO is Defense Distributed’s technical and legal support fraternity with opportunities for supporters and interested 3D creators to join for a nominal fee.

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24 COMMENTS

    • like that time British citizens had to defend themselves and their rights with a war to free them from the tyranny of British rule, and the British citizens won.

        • I don’t disagree.

          That said, I imagine they would find tasers to be quite a shock.

          Ditto all the cams, mics, and instant commo. Tories, OTOH. would think they died and gone to heaven.

        • Especially the 77 who chose to Stand and Fight. Rather than settle for comfortable subjugation as is the case in many cities and states currently.

  2. Knowledge is poison to lefties. They’re just following PolPots example.

    The leftist rebuttal would be to go on about the perceived censoring of things of a sexual nature because theyre all obsessed with it then follow it up with saying the “right” is attacking educations and schools and what not. What they don’t realize is that only makes the point. The left hates information. They love indoctrination.

    • Actually closer to the Nazi approach of Indoctrination resulting in the Hitler Youth. That is currently being witnessed in the bastions of so called higher education.

  3. The Libertarians and the libertarians. Both said, you don’t have a 1st amendment anymore.

    If a private multi-billion $$$ business wants to do a deal in a foreign country??? Then they must follow the law/rules in that foreign country.

    And you Mr and Mrs America can not be allowed to read what you want. Because others in that country can read what you read. On the internet.

    You must be stopped from passing around any written materials to each other. Because other people in those countries can pass around the same written materials.

    In fact the smartest people in the room now say, it’s OK to burn books now. 🔥

    • The MSM has been pulling this crap constantly over the past few years. Most of it is all just banal political statements that they have to trim down to strip context to try and make him scarier than he really is.

    • correction for: “note: hint, its a ‘financial bloodbath’ for the Chinese because of the 100% tariff, that’s the context, not how the left wing is spinning it”

      should have been…

      note: hint, its a ‘financial bloodbath’ for american car industry if the Chinese can sell those cars in the US because 100% tariff is not in place, that’s the context, not how the left wing is spinning it.

      sorry bout that….problem with browser is back omitting/changing stuff when I hit submit. only happens here at TTAG.

  6. The Libertarians Liberals and the Left have always been big supporters of p0rn0 gr@phy. But they have been quite as a church mouse. When it comes to advertising pictures of firearms.

    In California stores can post pictures of their sex t0ys and other p0rn 0gr@phic materials in the window displays. But gun stores were banned from posting pictures of guns on their window displays.

    Have the “freedom of speech freaks,” come rushing to support the gun industry??? In and their gun advertising efforts. No they have not.

    It’s amazing how so many “1st amendment people”, are easily distracted, with cross burning and p0rn0 gr@phy.

    They support anti-war protests. But they don’t support anti-ab0 rtion protests.

    The 1st amendment died a very long time ago. If we ever had it at all.

  7. I really do always try to be polite and to use the best vocabulary possible in my communications. However, in this case all I keep coming up with is: FUCK NEW JERSEY.

    And honestly, to all the law abiding, patriotic Americans still living in New Jersey, FUCK YOU TOO. Here’s a news flash. You are not going to change the place. In fact, it’s only getting demonstrably worse.

    So, stop giving the communists your money and relocate to a state that will be on the winning side when it all comes down. Sadly, time is clearly running out. You’re going to find yourself in a place where your state is trying to kill you. Anywhere else you try to move to won’t allow you through their borders. So, keep waiting, keep filling Phil’s coffers….. and good luck!

  8. Personally I really wish we could get some court cases targeting laws to regulate of ban the home production of weapons. Some of the designs coming out of the FOSSCAD community are pretty rad. Things that I would be glad to buy straight up if they were a commercial product. But I can’t since I’m stuck in one of the s-hole states that threw a hissy-fit post Bruen.

    • “Personally I really wish we could get some court cases targeting laws to regulate of ban the home production of weapons.”

      Contact the gun rights orgs and offer to set up some crowdfunding to finance those lawsuits.

      That’s what it’s gonna take…

  10. I was channel surfing and caught a biden-harris campaign ad that aired during some awards show. Proof positive the First Amendment can sometimes make you want to vomit however at all costs it must be tolerated…like fjb.

    TRUMP 2024.

  12. A woman in Portland was found guilty of a hate crime for misgendering (speech crime). Tried by a Portland jury, not sure what the sentencing will be.

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