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Dems to Introduce 3D Gun Blueprints Exporting Ban

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Congressman Eliot Engel in a press release said he is going to introduce a ban on exporting 3D-printed gun designs over the internet without a license.
Sputnik

"I will introduce legislation to amend the Arms Export Control Act to require that the technical information needed to manufacture these weapons cannot be exported via the Internet without a US government license," Engel said on Monday.

US Congress must prevent the proliferation of these undetectable 3D-printed guns, Engel added, because even terrorists and criminals with a laptop would be able to build them.

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On August 1, a US federal judge temporarily blocked publishing on the Internet of the blueprints for printing plastic 3D guns in an effort to stop the settlement reached between US President Donald Trump's administration and a Texas-based company.

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said earlier that the Justice Department would prosecute to the fullest extent those who violate laws that prohibit the manufacturing or possession of undetectable plastic firearms.

On July 31, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the private company Defense Distributed from sharing gun blueprints online.

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The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Washington and several other US states to prevent the deregulation of "ghost guns."

In 2015, Defense Distributed filed a lawsuit after the State Department, citing international arms control regulations, forced the removal of its instruction manuals from the Internet. The organization later reached a settlement with the government that allowed them to move forward with plans for distributing gun blueprints online.

READ MORE: Fact Sheet: What is a 3D-Printed Gun Anyway?

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