Today a federal judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing a Texas man from publishing online the blueprints for making guns using a 3D printer. The attorneys general of eight states and the District of Columbia filed the lawsuit Monday in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington. Judge Robert S. Lasnik issued the decision immediately after a hearing on Tuesday, stating that the attorneys general had shown during the hearing, among other things, that the publication would result in “a likelihood of irreparable harm”—one of the necessary elements for a TRO. Although disallowing the publication of the blueprints raises complex First Amendment issues, the balance of equities favored granting the TRO.
Additional Reading
Judge Blocks Attempt to Post Blueprints for 3-D Guns, New York Times, July 31, 2018
Attorneys General Sue Trump Administration To Block 3D-Printed Guns, NPR, July 30, 2018
Washington v. US Department of State – via Justia Dockets
