It's exactly the same thing. What defines a crime is intention. For instance, firing a gun is not a crime per se. Or in the case of the United States, even bui

It's exactly the same thing. What defines a crime is intention. For instance, firing a gun is not a crime per se. Or in the case of the United States, even building one isn't illegal, since no one made a law to make it so. [1] On the other hand, attempt to shoot, shooting or killing someone, are all possibly crimes, depending if there's intention and the circumstances (e.g., self-defense). So in your example, if someone makes materials for political enemies, first you need to prove intention or connection to the crimes committed by these parties (I'm assuming you don't mean illegal/controlled materials here). Then, when this person is sentenced, the judge can rule about restricting access to these materials anymore (for instance, restricting him from getting a job in industry). It's the same case as hackers sentenced for years away from computers. [1] http://www.cracked.com/article_17016_7-items-you-wont-believe-are-actually-legal.html http://www.cracked.com/article_17016_7-items-you-wont-believ...