Posted August 01, 2018 15:10:22
Photo: Company owner Cody Wilson holds a 'Liberator' pistol, which was fully 3D printed in his home. (AP: Jay Janner: Austin American-Statesman) [1]
A US judge has blocked the planned release of 3D-printed-gun blueprints hours before they were set to hit the internet.
Key points:
- Judge Lasnik said the publication of the files are now illegal under federal law
- He noted that the accessibility of 3D printers could lead to 'irreparable harm'
- Defense Distributed's files include printing plans for AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles
US district judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle said the blueprints' publication could cause irreparable harm to US citizens, siding with states that sued to halt the publication of designs to make weapons that security screening may not detect.
The decision blocked a settlement President Donald Trump's administration had reached with a Texas-based company, which initially said it planned to put files online on Wednesday (local time).
Gun-control proponents are concerned the weapons made from 3D printers are untraceable, undetectable "ghost" firearms that pose a threat to global security.
Some gun rights groups say the technology is expensive, the guns are unreliable and the threat is being overblown.
Josh Blackman, a lawyer for the company Defense Distributed, said during the hearing that blueprints had already been uploaded to the firm's website on Friday.
The publication of those files is now illegal under federal law, Judge Lasnik said.
"There are 3D printers in public colleges and public spaces and there is the likelihood of potential irreparable harm," he said at the end of a one-hour hearing on the lawsuit.
Defense Distributed and its founder, Cody Wilson,
