California votes to ruin 3D printing right after voting to keep killing games [video]
California has passed legislation that critics argue will negatively impact 3D printing, shortly after enacting a law that prevents companies from killing or discontinuing digital game purchases. The video discusses the potential consequences of these new regulations on both industries.
Background
- California's legislature passed AB 302, which would impose strict new regulations on 3D-printed firearms (including requirements for serial numbers, background checks, and licensing for anyone who manufactures a firearm at home). The bill is awaiting the governor's signature.
- The video's title refers to the same California legislature also advancing AB 2426, a bill targeting "disappearing" digital purchases — requiring stores like Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox to clearly tell buyers they are only purchasing a license, not owning the game, and that the license can be revoked. This is what the "killing games" remark refers to: critics argue it legalizes game delisting by making the license model explicit.
- The controversy pits gun-control and consumer-protection advocates against hobbyists, free-speech advocates, and tech-rights groups who see both bills as overreach that stifles innovation, codifies corporate control over digital property, and criminalizes ordinary tinkering.