The parts for the Liberator are almost completely 3D-printed. Defense Distributed
Blueprints for 3D-printed gun parts aren't allowed to be spread online for now.
Seattle Judge Robert Lasnik on Monday granted a preliminary injunction to block the online distribution of 3D-printed gun part designs until the case is resolved in court.
"Once again, I'm glad we put a stop to this dangerous policy," said Bob Ferguson, Washington state attorney general and one of the 19 state plaintiffs.
The decision marks the latest development in the ongoing fight over whether these plans should be made widely available over the internet, pitting First and Second Amendment rights advocates against government agencies and state attorneys.
"The order is a manifest injustice and a farcical admission of abridgment of the freedom of speech," said Cody Wilson, the owner of Defense Distributed and creator of 3D-printed gun designs, in an email statement. "I'll be pleased to correct this judge at the Ninth Circuit."
The State Department and the Second Amendment Foundation, one of the private defendants in the case, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The Justice Department declined to comment.
This injunction comes after 19 state attorneys general last week sued[1] the State Department for settling a prior lawsuit with 3D-printed guns maker Defense Distributed. On July 31, a Seattle judge granted a temporary restraining order[2] blocking the free online publication of the 3D-printed gun blueprints.
The distribution of such blueprints has caused quite a stir. It has evolved from a gun control issue to a free speech issue because the design files of the guns can be considered speech. State attorneys and several US senators are concerned as the spreading of these files may compromise public safety.
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