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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 29 august 2018
Texan says he's selling

3D-printed gun

plans, despite ruling

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The blueprints even if he can't
owner of a Texas company post them online for free,
that makes untraceable widespread distribution.
3D-printed guns said Tues- "Regulation under the (law)
day that he has begun sell- means that the files can-
ing the blueprints through not be uploaded to the In this Aug. 1, 2018, file photo, Cody Wilson, with Defense Distrib-
uted, holds a 3D-printed gun called the Liberator at his shop in
his website to anyone who internet, but they can be Austin, Texas.
wants to make one, de- emailed, mailed, securely Associated Press
spite a federal court order transmitted, or otherwise
barring him from posting published within the United they don't, President Trump was an open source advo-
the plans online. States," the ruling said on its will be responsible for any- cate," Wilson said. "I don't
Cody Wilson said at a news final page. one who is hurt or killed as expect to make money on
conference that he started "I'm following yesterday's a result of these weapons." it."q
selling the plans Tuesday orders that direct me to sell Andy Reuss, a U.S. Depart-
morning and that he had the files," Wilson said. "The ment of Justice spokesman,
already received nearly judge was very gracious to declined to comment.
400 orders. He said he'll sell put that in black lettering." Wilson said he anticipates
the plans for as little as a Washington Attorney Gen- that states may try to sue
penny to anyone in the U.S. eral Bob Ferguson, whose to stop him from selling the
who wants them. office oversaw the federal plans, but that he is rais-
"Anyone who wants to get lawsuit, said Tuesday that ing money for his legal de-
these files is going to get he believes the judge's rul- fense. He also said he will
them," Wilson said, noting ing makes Wilson's latest ac- continue to challenge the
he can only sell to U.S. cus- tions illegal."Because of our Monday court order.
tomers. "They can name lawsuit, it is once again ille- Wilson said he believes he
their own price." gal to post downloadable could have previously sold
Wilson said that blueprints gun files to the internet. I the blueprints but didn't
purchased through his trust the federal govern- because he wanted to be
company's website could ment will hold Cody Wilson, able to post them online
be downloaded on a a self-described 'crypto- for widespread, free distri-
thumb drive and shipped anarchist,' accountable to bution. "For many years I
to buyers by standard mail, that law," Ferguson said. "If chose not to sell these files. I
sent by email or sent by
some other secure down-
load transfer. Some of his
first sales included purchas-
es made with crypto cur-
rency, he said.
Nineteen states and the
District of Columbia had
sought an injunction to
stop a settlement that the
State Department reached
with Wilson's Austin-based
company, Defense Distrib-
uted, after the agency re-
moved the 3D gun-making
plans from a list of weap-
ons or technical data that
are not allowed to be ex-
ported. The states argued
that online access to the
undetectable plastic guns
would pose a security risk
and could be acquired by
felons or terrorists.
On Monday, U.S. District
Judge Robert Lasnik in Se-
attle blocked Defense Dis-
tributed from posting the
blueprints online, saying, "It
is the untraceable and un-
detectable nature of these
small firearms that poses a
unique danger."
Wilson said he believes the
ruling allows him to sell the