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California’s 3D Printer Law Would Criminalize Open Source, Enshittify The 3D Printing Space
(www.techdirt.com)
this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2026
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That was the idea. Tech companies don‘t want us to have nice things because it makes their products look all the more shitty. And so they attack anything open source that they don‘t directly benefit from. Some investors are probably seeing the shitty ink printer business and hope they can degrade 3D printing to that degree too. They take any opportunity to fuck the small people for a chance of making an easy buck.
Meanwhile, you can go to the hardware store and make yourself a shotgun for less than the cost of a fast food meal but nobody is talking about regulating pipes.
This has nothing to do with the tech industry. This is the firearms industry 100%.
If the firearms industry think that a 3d printed gun is good enough to compete with them, they are selling shitty products.
It is more plausible that they want to control the 3d printed guns because they are not able (or willing) to stop the people who want to commit some kind of crimes and cannot buy a gun from building one (since, as I understand, to buy the components it seems you have not to undergo a backgroubd check).
You think we are at a endpoint with 3d printing technology? As technology improves the ability to make better parts will keep increasing.
You are right, it is about control.
No, we are not at a endpoint even if I don't think there is much more to be done that can improve the tech in some revolutionary way.
There are 3d metal printers that do stainless, inconel, H13, D2. They are expensive but that price will come down over time
True, but to design a barrel for a gun is way more difficult. Even now you can have a barrel made from a metal shop (or with a relatively cheap cnc mill) if you really want.