July 31,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal filed a lawsuit today seeking to prevent a firearms developer from publicly releasing computer files that would enable individuals to create untraceable firearms using a 3-D printer. The firearm developer, a Texas-based company called “Defense Distributed,” has threatened to release the files to the public on Wednesday, August 1, 2018.
Ridgewood Public Library has a MakerBot 3D printer which prints digital designs as 3D objects in a non-toxic biodegradable plastic called PLA (available in a variety of colors). Please read the 3D Printing Policy for complete details.
Attorney General Grewal filed the lawsuit in Superior Court in Essex County, seeking a temporary restraining order against Defense Distributed and its founder, Cody Wilson. The lawsuit follows a cease-and-desist letter that Attorney General Grewal sent the company on Thursday, July 26, 2018.
In a separate letter, Attorney General Grewal informed DreamHost, the web-hosting provider, that Defense Distributed’s website will be violating the provider’s Acceptable Use Policy. As the letter explains, Defense Distributed impermissibly plans to use the website to facilitate imminent violations of New Jersey state law.
“These dangerous files would allow anyone – including terrorists, domestic abusers, felons, fugitives, and juveniles – to print untraceable assault weapons using a 3D printer from the comfort of their own homes,” said Attorney General Grewal. “And because the guns would be printed without serial numbers, they would be untraceable by law enforcement, making it all the more difficult to solve crimes committed with these weapons. Once Defendants open that Pandora’s box, it can never be closed.”
Defense Distributed made national headlines by developing gun computer files that enable consumers to create fully operational firearms with a 3-D printer. The company’s founder, Cody Wilson, developed a printable plastic pistol known as the “Liberator .380” in 2012 and put the plans online, but was blocked by the federal government. Wilson sued, and under a settlement he reached with the U.S. State Department, his company can begin releasing computer files for printable guns beginning on August 1.
But as explained in today’s court filings, publication of those computer files would still violate New Jersey law.
New Jersey’s public nuisance law provides a cause of action to hold firearm manufacturers accountable – and to enjoin imminent violations of the law – when their plans would facilitate the illegal sale of weapons to criminals and other prohibited users, and when the manufacturer has done too little to prevent that illegal market from developing.
On Sunday, July 29, 2018, Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation, a gun rights organization, sued Attorney General Grewal in federal district court in Austin, Texas, seeking to prevent Attorney General Grewal from preventing the publication of the company’s computer files on its website, known as “DEFCAD.” The same day, Wilson claimed that he had taken steps to prevent the distribution of those files in New Jersey, posting on his personal Twitter account, “Yes, DEFCAD has been blocked in New Jersey.” However, as noted in New Jersey’s court filings today, the Defense Distributed website remains accessible in New Jersey.
Also today, Attorney General Grewal joined 20 other state attorneys general in a letter criticizing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General Jeff Sessions for settling the federal lawsuit against Defense Distributed and urging them to withdraw from the settlement before the company publishes the computer files later this week.
“For years, and as recently as April 2018, the federal government recognized that these printable-gun computer files would be a threat to United States national security and foreign policy interests,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Although the Secretary of State and Attorney General abruptly switched positions – with no good reason – the threat remains. I’m proud to lead the fight in New Jersey to stop Wilson and Defense Distributed from publishing printable-gun computer files, and I call on the federal government to join us in protecting the safety of our residents and our law enforcement officers.”
In other news: the barn is empty so NJ AG moves to close the doors.
What barn.
Yeah stop the 3D printing of guns, that will solve the problem.
Forget about how getting an illegal gun is 10 times easier then buying 3d printer & supplies.
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
just curious as to the thought that perhaps these guns in addition to being unregistered might also be easier to smuggle thru security at airports, courts, museums and other public facilities that prohibit firearms and which are potential targets. maybe thats enough of a reason for them to not exist or be more difficult to obtain.
Holy crap, pass that new legislation quick. We don’t want gang members and terrorists buying thousands of dollars worth of 3D printers to get their guns, because you know, the existing legislation stops them from getting cheap guns on the streets of Newark.
They aren’t undetectable. There is still metal in the guns for them to work properly, not to mention there is still assembly.
This is a non-story ginned up for elected officials to grandstand on. The plans for the single-use 3D-printed hand gun, having been downloaded 1,000,000+ times already, are out on the internet for all to see through republishing sites. The dark web cares less about copyright than the gun laws of an individual country. As for being able to trace ownership, any cop will tell you that any gun used in the commission of a crime has been reported lost, stolen or destroyed by the registered owner. So, let’s talk about how dangerous to public welfare a weapon that can poorly fire a single bullet will be. Last month in Chicago there were about 25 people shot each week with already illegal guns and a total of 1,600 people shot this year in that one city. Why are we talking about this and not that?
9:52 The only metal is the firing pin which measures 8/100ths of an inch diameter. That’s about 10% as much metal as my belt buckle which routinely passes through metal detectors unnoticed.
Just because real guns are easy to acquire does not make this a good idea.
Wait for it…
Soon you’ll have to register your 3-D printer. Schools, Copy stores (Staples, etc) will be requiring photocopies of Drivers licenses and signed forms detailing your use plans if you use one of their 3-D printers… etc… etc…
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12:20 pm well the pin, the brass casing, the lead round with a copper jacket, and the barrel might also set it off… We have had polymer guns on the market for a very long time now (Glock, Beretta, Sig, ext). People are getting confused about this tech. It’s not feasible to print a 100% 3D-printed gun because the plastic that is being printed is not strong enough to withstand the action of the barrel or the explosion from a bullet (as of right now, that might change). Not that untraceable guns are a good thing but.. sorry to tell you… Since computer-aided milling machines and lathes have been around it hasn’t been hard to make an untraceable gun…. you think gun manufacturers are conjuring up secrete black magic to make these things and only they can do it? I understand your concern but think for a minute before you accept recycled shock news. As long as stolen guns can be acquired cheaply by criminals, this is a non-issue. In fact, if we had to worry about this then at least we accomplished getting enough real guns out of the hands of criminal for them to have to resort to making a 3d printed gun to commit a crime. With that being said, we can’t stop them from getting the real thing you think making a law against obtaining a computer file is enforceable? just food for thought.