He says Defense Distributed is excluded from the ITAR regulations under an exemption for non-profit public domain releases of technical files designed to create a safe harbor for research and other public interest activities.

FORBES: State Department Demands Takedown Of 3D-Printable Gun Files For Possible Export Control Violations

It was forced to wipe its entire files, and painstakingly replace them from its back-up system, after technical staff the scale of the problem.

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