US justice suspends authorization to print weapons in 3D



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A federal court in Seattle has suspended the authorization to put online digital plans for the manufacture of weapons, validated by the Trump administration.

 Cody Wilson, the founder of Defense Distributed, shows a weapon in made by a 3D printer, May 10, 2013 in Austin, Texas

US Justice temporarily suspended Tuesday, July 31, the launch of digital plans to manufacture weapons using a 3D printer , a perspective that had moved part of the American political clbad. Seized on Monday in emergency, a federal court in Seattle granted the request of prosecutors from eight US states and the federal capital Washington, who wanted to prevent access to these plans.

Magistrate Robert Lasnik said that he would review the case on the merits at a new hearing on August 10. The group targeted by prosecutors, Defense Distributed, seems however to have taken everyone by surprise: its founder has, in fact, said he had already published the plans on the internet. At the end of June, after a long legal battle, the federal government authorized Defense Distributed to put online digital diagrams allowing to manufacture from home a weapon from a 3D printer.

The object is plastic but works like a real weapon. It is potentially untraceable and undetectable by metal detectors. "The age of downloadable weapons really begins" promises the site of the group, founded by Cody Wilson, a libertarian aged 30 years. Officially, the launch of online training programs was scheduled for August 1st. But Wilson told Wired magazine Tuesday that he had already released the plans on July 27. And, according to the magazine, they were already "downloaded thousands of times" .

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                The inventor of the 3D printable weapon files a complaint for infringement of freedom of expression
    

"It's just crazy to give criminals the tools to print untraceable and undetectable weapons in 3D at the push of a button." Barbara Underwood, New York State Attorney , who joined the proceedings in court.

30,000 people killed each year

But Cody Wilson does not intend to let himself be "I intend to go to court he told Wired. "Americans have the unquestionable right to share this information" . Twenty state prosecutors also wrote to the Trump administration denouncing the agreement with Distributed Defense, which they consider "deeply dangerous" and likely to "have a unprecedented impact on public safety ".

The United States, where about 30,000 people die each year from firearms, are already deeply divided over the issue of personal weapons regulation , especially because of the many mbad shootings, often perpetrated with legally purchased weapons.

More surprisingly, Donald Trump himself seemed to oppose this new means of arming himself. "I'm looking at this case of 3D plastic weapons sold to the general public. I have already spoken to the NRA, it does not seem to make much sense " he said Tuesday on Twitter.

I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, does not seem to make sense

– realDonaldTrump (@Donald J. Trump)
   

The NRA, the main gun lobby, has not yet expressed itself on the subject but should not be happy with the arrival of this competition.

A spokesman for the White House claimed on Tuesday that it was "currently illegal to own or manufacture a plastic firearm of any kind, including those made by a 3D printer . The government supports this law, which is almost 20 years old " added Hogan Gidley. "We will continue to examine all the options available to us to do what is necessary to protect the Americans while supporting the first and second amendments" of the Constitution.

Confusion at the White House [19659004] The discrepancy between the tweet of the president and the agreement pbaded by his administration did not fail to make tick the Democratic opposition, already mostly in favor of more control. "Indeed, it does not make much sense. And it does not make much sense that YOUR Ministry of Justice and YOUR State Department have authorized the making available to the public of 3D printable weapons " commented Ed Markey, Senator of Mbadachusetts. The Republican majority, opposed to a reinforced control of arms but close to the NRA, remained rather discreet on this subject.

Cody Wilson launched his fight in 2013, when he published the plans of "Liberator" . All plastic, the object, which has the appearance of a toy, could shoot a single bullet. These diagrams were downloaded 100,000 times before the federal police put an end to their free access.

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                Printed weapons in 3D, new enemy of regulation?
    

Originally from Arkansas and steeped in the southern arms culture, Cody Wilson intends to make his Defense Distributed Project "a WikiLeaks of Weapons" . The man adds having been totally seduced by the possibilities offered by 3D printers. This revolutionary technology, also known as additive manufacturing because it consists of superimposing successive layers to form the desired object, allows to make at home, with a three-dimensional printer, all kinds of objects, metal , aluminum or plastic.

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